DIFFERENT VOICES

Date: 18/07/1996

“We want to stress that music is not only about entertainment, it is about business.”

Nicholas Garnett, director-general of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), urging the EU to take tougher action on piracy and copyright issues.

“It is time for the negotiators at the Intergovernmental Conference to stop turning around in circles. So far, the IGC has been mostly an exercise in negativism: the negotiators prefer to oppose rather than to propose.”

Gijs de Vries, president of the Liberal group in the European Parliament, speaking at the 18th congress of the European Liberal, Democratic and Reform Group.

“Why should a country that makes better efforts to comply have to wait while other countries which have not made such strong efforts catch up?”

Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn arguing that applicant countries which were closest to meeting the requirements for EU membership should be given priority in talks on enlargement.

“We must react and we must react today.”

Commission President Jacques Santer, speaking at the start of this week's meeting of EU foreign ministers, predicting that Washington would implement its tough anti-Cuba laws in full and warning that the Union's response would be swift.

“One has to have a realistic currency.”

Spain's Finance Minister Rodrigo Rato expressing concern that the peseta had gone from being the weakest currency in the European Exchange Rate Mechanism in February 1995 to being the strongest in February 1996.

“I can tell you I am personally totally confident, and at home I continue to eat beef calmly with the family.”

French President Jacques Chirac seeking to reassure French consumers who have stopped buying beef because of the scare over mad cow disease.

“France is like a big, beautiful boat.

It will take a bit of time to get it back on an even keel.”

President Chirac, speaking on Bastille Day, stressing that it would take time for France to recover from the economic slow-down and warning that there was no miracle solution to the country's problems.