20/09/2005 (Agence Europe) - The agriculture ministers of the EU on Tuesday enshrined the political decision reached by their Finance colleagues at the Manchester in formal Ecofin, relating to Portugal's excessive deficit (EUROPE 9025). Stating that the Portuguese deficit would exceed 3% this year and calling on Lisbon to correct this by the end of 2008, the Council is going along with the recommendations of the European Commission (EUROPE 8995). The Portuguese government has six months (until 19 March 2006) to take effective measures allowing the deficit to be reduced structurally by at least 1.5% in 2006 and by 0.75% in both 2007 and 2008.