The Ireland would like to avoid any increase in its corporate tax

Negotiations on a possible plan to rescue the Ireland will now continue in Dublin. The European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the international monetary Fund (IMF) are send from today a technical expert mission to assess needs and negotiate the counterparties of potential assistance. We expect that they work quickly. "They should make their conclusions in a few days," explained yesterday an observer. "It will be then a precise vision of the necessary financial envelope, tools to mobilize, to implement reforms," explained the Minister of Finance of the Netherlands, Jan Kees de Jager. Everything will be ready if the Ireland decides to call Europe and the IMF.

Yesterday, on the occasion of the lunch of the Finance Ministers meeting in Brussels, the Irish Minister Brian Lenihan is remained camped on its position of Eve: the Ireland agrees to study more than fast structural its banking problems and how to solve, but does not request assistance at this stage. A position which concern the majority of euro area countries, eager to ward off any risk of contagion. "As the President of the ECB, Jean-Claude Trichet, the French and German Ministers are emerged very disappointed with the meeting of the Eurogroup, Tuesday night in Brussels", yesterday told a participant.

Banking sector hypertrophied

The menu of discussions that opened today in Dublin, is the remedial action plan budget that expects to submit the Ireland before the end of the month, through a reduction in public expenditure of EUR 6 billion by 2011, and a total drop of 15 billion to horizon 2014. The courageous measures, the European Commissioner for economic and Monetary Affairs, Olli Rehn, has been discussed on his last trip at the beginning of week last in Dublin. Should we go further It is possible that in the case of rescue plan, further measures are required, for example on taxation. The Ireland would like to avoid any increase in its corporate tax.

Another folder on the table: the status of the Irish banking sector. "The objective is to assess the actual needs and how best to restructure the sector to make it viable and healthy," said Olli Rehn yesterday. Closures, assignments or simple recapitalisations by the State "It is too early to decide, but it can in some cases apply a reduction of activity", said Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders. The ECB would not eternally provide liquidity to an Irish banking sector become hypertrophied.

Is that after completion of the mission that the European Commission will determine the specific volume of necessary assistance. The duration of the loans will also be stopped, the sectors concerned. "The mechanism of assistance cannot directly provide loans to the banking sector, but it may do so through a national programme focusing on the restructuring of this sector", explained yesterday Olli Rehn. In the case of the Greece rescue plan, an envelope of EUR 10 billion on a total of 110 billion had thus been assigned to a Fund for the restructuring of the banking sector.

Remains whether who should pay. The United Kingdom, whose banks are with Germany, the most exposed to the Irish risk, could come with a bilateral loan, be added to the European Fund. "It is never forbidden to have supplementary contributions, including at the bilateral level", said Didier Reynders.