Brussels, 18/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - The draft directive on savings taxation will, on Friday, make its reappearance on the programme of the Ecofin Council. After the political agreement reached between the Fifteen on 27 November, it will mainly be a matter, during lunch, of establishing the strategy for the next few months, and above all of how contacts with third countries (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Andorra, Saint-Martin, United States) should be carried out. This is the main task incumbent upon the Swedish Presidency during its six-month term of office. It is an important task since it will be in the light of the results of these talks that the Fifteen will decide whether or not to effectively implement the directive, via a new unanimous vote, by December 2002 at the latest.
European Taxation Commissioner Frits Bolkestein and Swedish Finance Minister Bosse Ringholm are preparing to send a letter to the five countries concerned (after Georges Bush Jr effectively becomes United States President). Bilateral meetings are expected to follow, at a technical level, probably beginning with Bern. Within six to eight weeks from now, the European Commission will also publish an amended draft directive that is more conform to the agreement of 27 November, on which the European Parliament should again be consulted for opinion.