Brussels/Luxembourg, 11/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - Just as EUROPE briefly announced (see yesterday page 9), the Council of the Union has given the green light to the delaying tactic proposed by the Commission in view of encouraging the US to abandon and neutralise, by way of a compensatory packet, the surcharges imposed on foreign steel sine 20 March. The political agreement will certainly be confirmed by the JHA Council on Thursday, as envisaged in a deadline report in the implementation of immediate sanctions (those targeting EU 378 million of US exports), the time for the Europeans to make concessionary measures that Washington has just begun by excluding certain French and German products from their surcharges. Member States have also accepted in this context, the US trade will be automatically and immediately sanctioned up to EUR 606 million if the contested protective measures are condemned by the World Trade Organisation next year. If this is the case, counter measures will enter into force in the five days after the verdict, without having to retread the perilous path of the Council. EUROPE will return.