Sunday, September 25, 2005

Bloomberg.com: Europe-Sarkozy Sees Turkey as EU Partner, Calls for End to U.K. Rebate

"Sarkozy Sees Turkey as EU Partner, Calls for End to U.K. Rebate

Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Turkey should be a partner of the European Union and not a member, and Britain should stop receiving an annual rebate from the EU budget, French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said.

Sarkozy, who heads President Jacques Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement, told a party conference in Paris today that the U.K. rebate, worth as much as 5.7 billion euros ($7 billion) this year, is an ``anomaly.'' He also said the EU can't accept more members until the bloc overhauls its institutions, and nations such as Turkey and Russia should be privileged partners."

More:Bloomberg.com: Europe