MULTI-NATIONAL fleets hoping the single European currency will introduce common daily rental prices across Europe will have to wait a lot longer. Even Avis Europe, which publishes its financial results in Ecus as well as Sterling, does not believe the Euro will enable pan-European companies to achieve the same hire rates in different countries.

David Maloney, finance director of Avis Europe, said: 'When the Euro comes in pricing will be more transparent and we would expect our customers to try to argue for one price. But we would resist common pricing because it does not cost the same to buy a car or employ a person in each country. There are different taxes on cars, and we are not allowed to buy cars in one country and hire them in another. The Euro will not harmonise pricing until European governments harmonise taxes.'