THE EU through the Irish Presidency has made a formal protest here about recent US legislation which would penalise European companies investing in Iran, Libya and Cuba.
The charge d'affaires at the Irish embassy and a representative of the EU Commission delegation in Washington presented a point appeal to the State Department yesterday. The document sets out the EU's objections to the US legislation while emphasising that the Community shares the US opposition to international terrorism.
The EU is strongly opposed, however, to the "extra territorial" aspect of the US legislation which authorises sanctions against companies and has drawn strong protests from Canadian, Mexican and other governments as well as the EU.
The EU last month approved a list of possible counter measures against the US if a satisfactory compromise cannot be worked out. But observers believe that no action will be taken until after the US Presidential election in November.
If President Clinton is reelected, there is speculation that he will try to modify the US legislation or seek the co-operation of the EU for a common approach.
Reuter reports.
In Brussels, an official of the European Commission said. "The European Union is taking the opportunity to express its unanimously held view that the kind of law and policy taken by the Americans as expressed in the D'Amato Act is completely unacceptable."
The official added that the EU was also warning Washington that the EU would take appropriate retaliatory action if need be.
Commission officials in Brussels have already been given the go ahead by EU foreign ministers to prepare such actions.