The European Union on Tuesday talked up its commitment to budgetary discipline, the day after Nicolas Sarkozy, French president, confirmed he expected to delay by two years his country's delivery of a balanced budget.

Mr Sarkozy's new 2012 target date for eliminating the French deficit is the latest in a series of slipping deadlines set by Paris. Five years ago the target was set at 2004, later at 2007 and in April this year the goal was set at 2010. But Mr Sarkozy's appearance before finance ministers in Brussels and his constructive tone offered some reassurance to critics who attacked him in strong terms during a tense dinner on Monday night.

Mr Sarkozy promised that if growth was higher than expected, he might still be able to hit the 2010 date and argued that his ambitious reform programme would inevitably incur upfront costs.

Joaquín Almunia, EU monetary affairs commissioner, on Tuesday said the debate confirmed that the 13-member eurozone was intent on sticking to the 2010 target. He added that the remodelled stability and growth pact - the EU's fiscal code - had been "strengthened by what we heard yesterday".