27/08/2003 (Agence Europe) - Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino (who is also an economist) reacted to the recent appeals made by Umberto Bossi to create customs barriers in the EU, mainly against China. In an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore, he said: "I have never understood how such wrong ideas can survive so long", such as that of protectionism (see EUROPE of 1 August, p.8, for comments by Commissioner Pascal Lamy on remarks by the President-in-Office of the Ecofin Council, Giulio...