EU uneasy over Poland's deficit and eurozone plans

The EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia requested another meeting with Finance Minister Zyta Gilowska. The meeting will take place today in Luxembourg where the EU representatives will discuss VAT reform and Lithuania's application to enter the eurozone. Almunia and Gilowska will also probably discuss the issue of monetary convergence since Poland should present a new convergence program in the early autumn. "There is nothing extraordinary about the meeting" stated Almunia's spokesperson and declared that the main subject of the meeting will be public finances. The European Commission is waiting until Poland presents a public finance reform program. The Commissioner called on Poland to set a date for the entry into the eurozone since Poland is the only country that has not yet done so. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) E.B.