1.   Germany is one of several aspiring currency union members experiencing difficulties meeting the budget deficit criterion stipulated in the Maastricht treaty.

2.   Most economists expect it to meet the deficit criteria as well.

3.   The Austrian government reduced its spending on public building projects for a second straight year this year to try to reach Maastricht budget deficit criteria.

4.   The deficit criterion must consider the economic conditions in each country, he said.

5.   Both France and Germany could miss the budget deficit criterion.

6.   Fears of post-monetary union turbulence have risen recently amid speculation the EU will be forced to relax the tight deficit criteria for nations aiming to adopt the single currency.

7.   Germany, the engine behind the single currency plan, narrowly missed the government deficit criterion last year.

8.   Officials moved quickly to quash reports Germany would seek a flexible interpretation of the deficit criteria to ensure it gets in.

9.   Debate about the deficit criteria should not veil the other convergence conditions concerning inflation, exchange rates and interest rates.

10.   Last week, a number of figures as well as some important economic research institutes said Germany could not meet the Maastricht public deficit criterion.