France consider ways to open online gambling
France opened talks with the European Union on Tuesday in an effort to end their dispute over gambling and consider ways to open up the French betting monopoly. The EU’s head office is looking to end state monopolies on gambling in several European countries in a bid to enforce the EU’s free internal market and antitrust rules. It has threatened to bring countries before the European Court of Justice if they do not reform voluntarily. 
French Budget Minister Eric Woerth met with EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy to set out a calendar for a political settlement of the issue. He said technical details should be worked out by February in the hope of reaching a deal by mid-March.