European Leaders Call for Reduction of Business Restrictions

Germany, Belgium and Denmark have called for a reduction in the amount of obstacles to competition among businesses within the European Union, according to a report in the Financial Times Deutschland. In a letter to the European Commission and Irish EU Presidency, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Danish leader Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt criticized the laws that come out of Brussels, claiming that many of them "strangle" companies and "disadvantage them in international competition." Addressed to the Commission President Romano Prodi and current head of the EU Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, the letter is sure to prompt discussion on the topic at the up-coming summit between EU leaders on March 25-26 which will focus on Europe's economy.