Brussels, 07/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday, the Ecofin Council reached a political agreement on the proposal to recast the financial regulation. Although unanimity was required on this issue, Italy kept its reserve "of principle" on the subject of decentralising certain tasks of budgetary execution under external actions (see EUROPE of 4 May, p.10). The Spanish Presidency did not wish to insist that the Italian Minister, Giulio Temonti, should make concessions, and pointed out that a solution should be found during a forthcoming meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of Member States with the EU (Coreper), in order to reach a political agreement at the Ecofin Council in June.