Malta and Britain remain adamant that the gambling industry remain a national competence despite bids by EU president France to forge a bloc-wide policy for regulating the industry, Reuters reported.

France put forward a discussion paper to a meeting of the bloc’s 27 industry ministers last week that said there were “already grounds for seeking a common approach.”

EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told the meeting he had not proposed common EU rules on gambling as no consensus existed among the bloc’s states.

The Czech Republic, which takes over the EU presidency on January 1, signalled it may continue the debate despite strong opposition from Britain and Malta.

The European Court of Justice has ruled several times that restrictions on gaming must be non-discriminatory and proportionate, and McCreevy has launched legal actions against about 10 EU states to uphold these rulings.

Many of the countries subject to the legal actions backed the French paper, triggering accusations from some officials that it was no more than a delaying tactic and an attempt to impose stricter rules on some countries.

“Malta said the French initiative is a cul de sac,” an EU official said.

Britain’s chapter of the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) said measures promoted by France, such as a blocking of financial transactions or a ceiling on a player’s rate of return, had already been rejected by the European Commission.

Source: Reuters