Commissie overweegt procedure bij Europees Hof inzake Stabiliteitspact (en)

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and his Austrian colleague Wolfgang Schüssel yesterday warned the Commission not to take this week's euro pact decision to the Court of Justice.

Last Tuesday (25 November), euro zone finance ministers decided by a qualified majority vote not to fine Germany and France, despite the two economic heavyweights breaking the rules that underpin the common currency, the euro.

This decision angered such smaller countries and infuriated the Commission which saw its recommendations overturned by ministers.

The Commission has now asked the institution's legal services to examine last Tuesday's decision with the view of bringing it to the Court of Justice.

"In my opinion there are enough arguments to bring the case to the European Court of Justice", said European Commissioner responsible for monetary affairs Pedro Solbes on Wednesday according to the Spanish edition of the Financial Times, Expansión.

"The legal service of the Commission is examining the case".

But Berlin and Vienna - on opposite sides of the debate on Tuesday - were able to agree that the Commission should not take such dramatic action.

"The Stability and Growth Pact is flexible enough. A legal battle will not bring us forward", said Mr Schröder, visiting his Austrian collegue in Vienna.

The Austrian Chancellor also warned against a Court case saying that such a case could hold up things for several years.

"And we cannot wait that long. Complaints only poison the climate further", Mr Schüssel said according to Handelsblatt.

Austria would rather see the Commission presenting new proposals to rewrite the euro rules at the next European Council, scheduled to take place in Brussels on 12-13 December.