1.   Since its launch last year, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden and France have joined the scheme and Denmark and Belgium are negotiating to join.

2.   Another Big Bank Merger in Japan Sanwa Bank of Japan is negotiating to join the merger of Asahi Bank and Tokai Bank, executives close to the deal said.

3.   It could be just a flirtation, an attempt by Barak to play off against each other all the smaller parties negotiating to join him.

4.   The Toyota Motor Corp. is negotiating to join the joint venture, Covisint officials said.

5.   Poland is the largest of a dozen countries, mostly former communist states of Eastern Europe, negotiating to join the EU.

6.   Now it belongs to NATO and is negotiating to join the European Union.

7.   RWE AG, another German energy group, had been negotiating to join the alliance but said Wednesday it broke off talks.

8.   South Korea has been negotiating to join the Paris-based organization of industrialized countries this year.

9.   Such measures comply with the position of the European Union, which Cyprus is negotiating to join.

10.   The Cypriot Cabinet, which is negotiating to join the union, has said it would uphold the EU embargo.