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Wed 06 Jun 2007Revised EU treaty sends protectionist signal, warns McCreevyDitching unfettered competition as an EU treaty objective sends a bad protectionist signal, although it will make little difference in practice, European internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy said yesterday.EU leaders struck a deal last week on a detailed mandate for a new treaty to overhaul the 27-nation union, removing "free and undistorted" competition from the EU's stated aims, on the insistence of French president Nicolas Sarkozy.