THE EUROPEAN UNION ON THURSDAY WELCOMED A CEASEFIRE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE BASQUE SEPARATIST GROUP ETA AND SPAIN'S PRIME MINISTER THANKED THE BLOC FOR HELPING PAVE THE WAY FOR THE END TO THE CONFLICT, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. 'THIS IS A VERY POSITIVE SIGN,' AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR WOLFGANG SCHUESSEL TOLD REPORTERS WHEN ASKED ABOUT ETA'S STATEMENT ON WEDNESDAY THAT IT WAS ORDERING A PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN ITS ARMED CAMPAIGN FOR INDEPENDENCE. AUSTRIA HOLDS THE PRESIDENCY OF THE EU. SCHUESSEL SAID EU LEADERS WOULD DISCUSS THE ANNOUNCEMENT WITH SPANISH PRIME MINISTER JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO AT AN EU SUMMIT IN BRUSSELS. HE SAID IT WAS TOO SOON TO COMMENT ON WHETHER THE BATASUNA PARTY, CONSIDERED ETA'S POLITICAL WING, MIGHT BE REMOVED FROM THE EU'S LIST OF TERRORIST ORGANISATIONS. 'IT'S SOMETHING WE WILL BE DISCUSSING TODAY WITH PRIME MINISTER ZAPATERO IN AN APPROPRIATE SETTING HERE. IT'S A POSITIVE SITUATION BUT I HAVE NO MANDATE TO MAKE ANY STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE EU.' --MORE 23 09 LOCAL TIME 20 09 GMT
