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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8704

12 May 2004
Contents Publication in full By article 8 / 37
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) eu/ecofin
European finance ministers grant Italy reprieve till July over warning about excessive deficit

Brussels, 11/05/2004 (Agence Europe) - European finance ministers have decided to show clemency to Italy. Confirming Eurogroup's orientations on Monday evening in Brussels, the Eurogroup Council decided to postpone its meeting till 5 July for deciding on whether or not to set up and "early warning" system for Italy. The Irish presidency said that there was "broad consensus" regarding this decision, with certain reservations expressed by Austria, Spain and Sweden.

The Commission's warning...

Contents

A LOOK BEHIND THE NEWS
: How can one be unaware of reforms made to competition policy?
THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EU/SPAIN: Zapatero affirms that Europe is "main priority and strategy for Spain"
(EU) EU/KOSOVO: Chris Patten warns that Kosovo should implement political standards unless it wanted to become a "pariah"
(EU) EU/MIDDLE EAST:
(EU) EP/SLOVAK REPUBLIC: Preferential voting system should not have much impact on European elections
(EU) EU/CHURCH/ELECTIONS: Catholic bishops encourage voters to turn out for European elections in June 2004
(EU) GERMANY/FRANCE:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/ECOFIN: European finance ministers grant Italy reprieve till July over warning about excessive deficit
(EU) EU/ECOFIN: Council closes excessive debt procedure against Portugal
(EU) EU/ECOFIN: Luxembourg calls for guarantees for banking secrets in context of negotiations on taxation and Schengen with Switzerland
(EU) EU/EUROGROUP: Council continues debate on accession by new Member States to European Exchange Rate Mechanism, while Commission opens procedure against 6 of 10 new members
(EU) EU/BUDGET 2004: Member States' contributions are reduced by EUR 5.47 billion, given budgetary surplus in 2003
(EU) EU/ENVIRONMENT: Greenpeace denounces use of wood from illegal timber traders at EU building sites
(EU) EU/INFORMATION SOCIETY: Broadband in Europe has the wind in its sails - Erkki Liikanen counting on competition to improve penetration
(EU) EU/WTO: Almost all Member States support EU's offer to relaunch Doha round
(EU) EU/AGRICULTURE: Fifteen divided on improvements to beef labelling system
(EU) EU/UNITED STATES: Mr Byrne calls upon United States to lift sanctions linked to EU's embargo on hormone-treated beef
(EU) EU/CZECH REPUBLIC: EU rural development contribution of 543 million EUR (2004-2006)
(EU) EU/CYPRUS: Green light to Cypriot rural development plan (2004-2006), with EU contribution of 75 million EUR
(EU) EU/ENERGY: Pascal Lamy regrets absence of Community oil reserves to counter hike in oil prices
(EU) EU/CHINA: Commission gives Chinese authorities until Wednesday to abolish restrictions on coke exports to EU
(EU) EU/SPACE:
(EU) EU/JUSTICE: 17 Member States applying European Arrest Warrant, to enter into force this Wednesday in Netherlands
(EU) EU/USA: Commission appears ready to definitively approve agreement on airline passenger data on Wednesday
(EU) EU/COHESION POLICY: European forum on cohesion calls for more targeted, less centralised and simpler cohesion policy - financial resources at centre of debate
(EU) EU/MACAO: Publication of readmission agreement
ECONOMIC INTERPENETRATION
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(EU) Banking:
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(EU) Breweries:
(EU) Electricity:
(EU) Security:
(EU) Steel:
(EU) Media:
€ VALUE IN DIFFERENT CURRENCIES ON 11/05/2004: