11/12/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Council formally adopted its common position on the "investment services" directive, which will allow investment companies to propose their services throughout the EU, including for transactions between clients of a financial firm without going through the stock exchange ("internalised" operations) - as they had done during the adoption of a political agreement at the Ecofin Council on 7 October (see EUROPE of 8 October, p.9). The United Kingdom, Ireland,...