Brussels, 09/01/2002 (Agence Europe) - "Now that the Swedish prime minister has clearly signalled the likelihood of a referendum on Euro membership as early as spring 2003, the [British] government should pencil in the same date" for a referendum on transition from the pound to single currency, said British Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne (MEP). (Prime Minister Göran Persson pointed out that the Swedish referendum could be held in March or April 2003 and that, if the result is positive, Sweden could enter the euro zone in January 2006: see above for the statements made by Mr Prodi and Mr Solbes).
"If Sweden votes yes, Denmark will probably follow", says Mr Huhne, who notes with regret that this "will leave Britain as the only EU member outside the Euro". Some candidate countries, like Hungary and Estonia, have already said they "intend to join the EU in 2004 and adopt the euro two years later", he recalls.