Similarly, while simultaneous consideration of the same issue in multiple international bodies can sometimes be a useful way to develop alternative proposals, there may also be potential for initiatives that are at odds with one another.
In the first three quarters Italian exports grew by 3.3 per cent compared with the same period of 2003, approximately half the increase recorded by the other euro-area countries as a group. The balance-oftrade data indicate they slowed down in the final months of the year.