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Saturday, 16 March, 2002 Quarter-Million People Protest EU Summit VOA News 16 Mar 2002  
Most of the protest was peaceful. But small groups of demonstrators broke away and smashed bank and shop windows. Thousands of riot police lining the streets wielded batons to subdue the violent protesters. The Associated Press reports that there were some arrests. At the close of their meeting, the EU leaders said they had agreed to partially liberalize Europe's gas and electricity markets. The compromise protects France's state-owned power monopoly from outside competition for residential customers. British Prime Minister Tony Blair says the decision to open up energy markets signals a new economic direction in Europe. EU officials also decided to harmonize air traffic control systems throughout the European Union by 2004, hoping to reduce travel delays and cut costs for the airline industry. Top officials
from 13 countries hoping to join the European Union participated in the
talks. The EU leaders also
said the group's new defense force should soon be ready to assume peacekeeping
duties in Macedonia, once the NATO mission there ends. Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
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