Merkel and Sarkozy to boost partnership - by Quentin Peel in Berlin and Ben Hall in Paris

France and Germany will unveil a raft of proposals on Thursday to revive their flagging partnership and add momentum to the European Union now the Lisbon treaty has come into force.

The so-called Franco-German Agenda 2020 consists of 80 “concrete ideas” for collaboration, including closer co-ordination of economic planning and financial regulation, joint research programmes and bilingual kindergartens. But it stops short of tackling contentious issues in bilateral relations such as co-operation between the members of the eurozone and joint financing for big industrial projects.

FT.com / Europe - Merkel and Sarkozy to boost partnership