European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Joaquin Almunia, from Spain, gives a press conference during the OECD Ministerial Council at the French Foreign Ministry in Paris May 23, 2006. Almunia said that Lithuania's decision to target 2009 as a date to adopt the euro is "realistic." Lithuania, which joined the European Union in 2004, was denied membership of the euro club because its inflation was not in line with a limit imposed on candidate countries. (UPI Photo/William Alix)