Ritt’s red carpet treatment

Date: 07/03/1996

Surely Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard is not one to harbour grudges?

In the wake of the famous diaries episode, the Danish press corps in Brussels has missed its weekly tête-à-têtes with the lady in her city apartment.

But when the Commission adopted its proposals for the Intergovernmental Conference last week, it seemed the icy relations had thawed a little, because Ritt faxed all the Brussels-based Danish EU journalists with her views on the IGC paper.

A very helpful thing to do, or so it appeared until the hacks found out that their colleagues back in Denmark had been invited to the Commission's Copenhagen office for more comprehensive treatment - a telephone press conference with the lady herself.