France has reiterated its commitment to the EU stability pact and to cutting its public deficit to below the pact's ceiling in 2005.
The finance ministry's economic programme submitted to the European Commission shows that the French government also intends to raise some taxes and lower others in order to boost employment and attract investment.
The ministry told the Commission that its economic programme 'recalls France's commitment to coming back below the 3% deficit threshold from 2005'.
According to the programme, the French public deficit is forecast to be 3.6% of gross domestic product in 2004 and 2.9% in 2005.
France and Germany, the euro zone's biggest economy, expect public deficits of 4% of GDP this year after having exceeded the 3% limit in 2002.
European Union finance ministers last month voted to spare Paris and Berlin disciplinary measures allowed by the pact, a move that outraged several smaller members of the euro zone and sparked questions about the credibility of the agreement.
