EU-DIGEST - special edition

France, the European Union's farming powerhouse, dug in its heels again on Monday ahead of a controversial proposal to lift a ban on U.S. poultry imports, a long-standing irritant in transatlantic trade ties. That ban has been in place since April 1997 because U.S. poultry producers use a low-concentration chlorine wash on chickens, a treatment practice not permitted in Europe.

This week, the European Commission will consider a proposal authored by its health chief to lift the ban, although the technical details and control requirements are still unclear. If the Commission agrees, the proposal would then be given to a panel of EU member state experts for their approval. And that, officials say, is where the problems are likely to start.

Last week, the idea came in for a drubbing at a meeting of the bloc's agriculture ministers where more than 20 of the 27 EU countries said they were either opposed to lifting the ban or at least had serious doubts about doing so.

For the complete report from the Guardian click on this link

Bolstering Europe's influence on the world stage - and especially on the new American administration - will be the top priority for France when it takes over the presidency of the European Union in July, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner of France said Monday.

Kouchner said France wanted to promote efforts to create a common EU defense policy and to work closely with Washington, once a new U.S. president is elected, on issues like peace in the Middle East. France will take over the EU's six-month rotating presidency from Slovenia on July 1, and a new American president will be inaugurated in January. For the complete report from the IHT click on this link