Brussels, 26/01/2004 (Agence Europe) - Monday's External Relations Council adopted without debate, at second reading, the regulation of compensation and assistance for airline passengers in case of refused boarding, delay or cancellation, on the basis of the agreement obtained at the conciliation committee with the European Parliament (which adopted the text in December: see EUROPE of 23 December, p.11). The Irish and British delegations voted against the text, as they feel it could bring with it overly high costs for an industry which has already suffered greatly in recent times, and Germany, which agrees, abstained. The regulation will enter into force twelve months after its publication in the Official Journal (see p.10).