20/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - Friday, German diplomatic sources denied rumours by which the German government is said to have formally asked EU partners to re-open accession negotiations on the "free provision of services" chapter with those countries with which this chapter has been provisionally closed (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Slovenia). According to the rumours (denied), Germany would like to introduce transition periods into the field of services, at least for certain branches, like construction and the crafts, so as to combat the "false self-employed" (the phenomenon of the "Scheinselbstandigkeit"), similar to those the European Commission proposed last week for the free movement of workers.