“We want a clear political agreement” and we do not want “to show our cards before the others”. For this reason, the European Union has opened “a mandate to negotiate the package first with the United States”. Speaking was Minister Franco Frattini who, in the absence of the Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, led the Italian delegation to the European Council.
The Minister reported that Germany, France and Italy agreed on the need “before reaching an economic agreement, to reach a political agreement” that would enable a fruitful outcome to the Copenhagen Summit in December 2009.
“Before a political agreement is reached with the USA”, concluded Foreign Minister Frattini, “Europe cannot make a unilateral commitment to any financial outlay”.