14/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - Without great discussion, on Tuesday, EU Finance Minsters accepted the Belgian, Luxemburg and Austrian stability programmes and the Estonian, Latvian and Slovenian convergence programmes. Confirming the Commission's positive response (see related article and EUROPE 9122), the Ecofin Council adopted the opinions on these countries, which are all in a “relatively good budgetary situation”, according to Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. Unlike several Member States, whose programmes will be examined closely by the Commission on 22 February (not Germany), none of these six countries was the subject of an excessive deficit procedure. Mr Almunia stressed in particular the “remarkable efforts” of Belgium, whose debt, which stood at 140% of GDP in 1993, is expected to fall to 80% by 2009.