06/06/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 5 June, the Ecofin Council took note of the report by the Primarolo Group on a code of conduct to restrict unfair competition in business taxes. Annexed to the progress report, the work programme of this group for the next 18 months, which relates among other things to improving the group's working methods and procedures, caused animated discussion. Belgium and the Netherlands felt that improvement in Primarolo Group procedures was a precondition for the award of any future work mandate for this Council group. Arguing that the proper working of the group was related to the fact that it did not take any formal decisions, France adopted an opposite stance. This disagreement meant that the Ecofin Council could not approve the conclusions which had been submitted. (mb)