25/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - After a meeting with the German Finance Minister, Hans Eichel, on Thursday in Berlin, European Commissioner Pedro Solbes welcomed the Schröder government's commitment to take "decisive measures" to bring the deficit back below three percent of GDP next year. If it does, then Germany will avoid having to pay a fine, he said. He added "You know penalties are included in the [Stability] Pact". At the same time, Mr Solbes pointed out that the European Commission was ready to launch an excessive deficit procedure if, as Mr Eichel had himself admitted for the first time, the German deficit exceeds 3% this year. Mr Eichel confirmed that Berlin would not seek to avoid such procedure. He went on to add that the Pact is sufficiently flexible to allow Germany to find solutions to its current problems.