1.   A decision on what a stability council may, or may not, do is due at the mid-year EU summit in Amsterdam.

2.   French President Jacques Chirac would like to see a stability council to coordinate economic policy among the euro-countries.

3.   France insists on the need for the stability council to focus on coordinating broad economic policy within the euro zone.

4.   German monetary officials have expressed fears that Paris could seek to use the stability council as a counter-weight to the central bank and thus limit its independence.

5.   European Commission President Jacques Santer said here Saturday a stability council grouping countries that have adopted a single European currency would only be informal.

6.   The stability council will be limited to coordinating the economic policies of the EMU states and to supervising the rigour of their economic policies.

7.   Klima said he supported a French proposal for a stability council which would bring together finance ministers from countries using the euro.

8.   Plans for a stability council have been attacked in Germany as a veiled attempt to ensure political control of monetary policy in the euro zone.

9.   Since early last year, the French have been campaigning for formation of a stability council grouping the finance ministers of the euro zone countries.