Brussels, 08/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - As announced at the most recent European Council meeting (see EUROPE 9866), the European Commission agreed on Wednesday 8 April 2009 to increase to €50 billion the overall ceiling of a loan facility to help non-eurozone countries in the EU to cope with balance-of-payment difficulties. This follows a previous rise in December 2008, when the ceiling went up by €12 bn to €25 bn. Thus far, three countries have been granted loans of a total of €14.6 bn (Hungary, Latvia and Romania, but Romania's request has not yet been authorised by the Council, see EUROPE 9869). Revision of the ceiling set in Regulation 332/2002 is expected to be adopted by EU finance ministers at the ECOFIN Council meeting of 4 May 2009. The Commission also proposes amendments to clarify the tasks and responsibilities of the Commission and the member state concerned, and to spell out technical details (like the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Commission and the member state concerned setting out the conditions approved by the Council, or the possibility for the European Court of Auditors to carry out audits). (A.B./transl.fl)