British Ministers were very much in evidence in Strasbourg this month. Douglas Henderson, Council President-in-Office, reported on a successful launch to the enlargement negotiations, and Secretary to the Treasury, Helen Liddell, shared Parliament's concern to see major improvements in the management of EU funds.
Clare Short outlined planned improvements to development policy as MEPs expressed dissatisfaction with the management of aid to Bosnia. MEPs underlined their determination that the new European Central Bank should be democratically accountable; attention now focuses on the special plenary sessions in Brussels on April 29th and 30th, and May 2nd, when Parliament will be meeting to discuss the convergence criteria and the choice of countries to participate in the single currency.