EU's Almunia, France's Jouyet warn on euro

ST. JULIAN'S, Malta (Reuters) - Following is a selection of comments from European Union policymakers attending ceremonies to mark Malta's January 1 entry to the euro zone.

SLOVENIAN PRIME MINISTER JANEZ JANSA

Asked if the European Central Bank was taking the right action to curb inflation, Jansa said: "For now, yes. I'm sure they're prepared too for some challenges coming in the next few months. But if you are looking for the whole year 2008, the situation is to stabilize."

EU ECONOMIC AND MONETARY AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER JOAQUIN

ALMUNIA:

ON INFLATION

"We hope that during 2008 these external shocks will diminish and that inflation will come back to normal levels. Next month we will publish our new forecasts," he told reporters.

ALMUNIA ON EURO

"As you know that we are observing always the evolution of the nominal effective exchange rate and real effective exchange rate of the euro. We are not particularly concerned with the level of the euro against one particular currency.

"In the last year the effective rate of the euro has appreciated by around 4 percent, and so far this has had different effects. On the one hand some exporters indeed are not very happy, on the other hand we have been able to counter some of the negative impacts of oil price increases.

"For now we cannot blame the evolution of the euro in general terms. Some sectors can do. The chief of Airbus is complaining, and I can understand his reasons, but on a global level we cannot complain so far.

"The present exchange rate of the euro in effective terms is close to historical limits so we need to be very vigilant, and to transmit to our partners how we see to resolve global imbalances in a cooperative way and not to have increased volatility and problems for everybody with a disorderly unwinding of these imbalances."

FRENCH EUROPE MINISTER JEAN-PIERRE JOUYET

* EURO STRENGTH

"For us you have a structural trend in the appreciation of the euro. The euro is very attractive," he told Reuters.

"The euro zone is quite strong in terms of growth in 2007 and you have imbalances in terms of the other countries. So to a certain extent it's quite normal to have this appreciation.

"The problem is the speed of this appreciation, and the fact that the three other major currencies are too weak, the yuan - you know that -- the yen and the dollar.

"It's clear that we have to correct the imbalances between a solid currency for structural reasons on our part, and the other partners who are not playing the same game. This is the case in Asia for the yuan and the yen.

* EURO-ZONE ECONOMIC POLICY

"I think we need to have more coordination in the Eurogroup to discuss the differences in inflation between different countries in the euro zone and to see if the inflation target is appropriate in the euro zone and to see also how to tackle the differences in competitiveness in the euro zone.

* ON ECB POLICY

"I have my own views on that but I don't comment. The ECB is independent and must decide."

(Editing by Ruth Pitchford)