EU fury at US court exemption ploy

EU ministers are furious at American attempts to get individual countries to approve exemption for their citizens serving abroad from the International Criminal Court.

The US, which has refused to be a signatory to the ICC, has already secured agreement from four countries, including EU candidate country Romania.

The Bush administration has been putting pressure on NATO applicants, including Romania, to sign an agreement with them before the NATO summit in Prague in November, where the decision will be made on their membership.