France and the European Commission hope to reach agreement over the provision of online betting and gaming services top French citizens by March 2008.
The news follows French budget minister Eric Woerth’s visit to Brussels to discuss a controlled opening of his country gambling market with European internal markets commissioner Charlie McCreevy.
One diplomat told French press sources there was still some way to go and the government’s representatives had not been in Brussels “to negotiate (with the Commission) but to discuss” a potential liberalisation of the French market.
France will assume the presidency of the European Commission in July 2008 and will want to have this issue cleared up when it takes up its position.