Brussels, 05/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - In the battle between Italy and Brazil over the extradition of Italian terrorist Cesare Battisti, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being judged guilty of four assassinations, the European Commission restated on Wednesday that the fact there was no extradition agreement between the EU and Brazil made it impossible for the EU to take action on this matter. Italian press reports state the Italian government's indignation at this stance expressed on Tuesday by the European executive arm, considering that the EU has ways to put pressure on Brazil. Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced a press conference would be held in Brussels end January on the “Battisti Affair”, as part of an EPP initiative. However, the Commission and one of Barroso's spokesmen, Oliver Bailly, find the situation quite clear, saying: “Even if a group of member states” were to plead the Italian cause at European level, “we would not have a greater role than before, or a broader remit”. Action can therefore only be taken at intergovernmental level, Bailly said. (Cor./transl.jl)