SLOVAK and EU negotiators on October 1 failed to strike a deal on the question of state aid to businesses, signalling the Union's disapproval of investment stimuli the Slovak government has offered to major steel and auto firms US Steel Košice and Volkswagen Bratislava.
The issue is one of three areas remaining out of 30 to be agreed upon before Slovakia enters the EU. With 27 "chapters" of a 30-section EU law document completed, Slovakia is among the front-runners for Union entry in 2004.
