08/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - Negotiations underway between the EU and the United States on trade compensations to which Washington is entitled after accession by ten new Member States on 1 May 2004 (see EUROPE of 8 March, p.13) will probably be extended beyond the normal deadline of 1 May this year. A Commission spokesperson confirmed that the EU has called for a two-month extension, which would make the deadline for talks 1 July 2005. It expressed confidence that the United States would accept the request. According to the spokesperson, the compensation that the EU will finally have to pay the Americans (in the form of tariff reductions) should be “below $10 million”.