Currently, the ECB’s Governing Council monitors twice a year the progress of the current pre-ins and the new Member States in their statistical preparations for EMU. Many countries have made very significant progress in a very short space of time, but full compliance with all legal requirements has not yet been reached.
Quite the contrary – we offer something that I would call a “partnership of convenience”, as we have a clear and measurable interest. We are aiming for two things: first, tighter  competition, and then, its possible outcome – a better price-quality ratio for consumers. In other words, we are moving forward with an incentive to achieve greater public benefit.