In a telephone conference held on Friday, 31 March, the Reference Group of the Eurovision Song Contest discussed the late withdrawal of Serbia & Montenegro.

Serbia & Montenegro decided to withdraw from the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest on 20 March. According to Eurovision rules, Serbia & Montenegro will still be obliged to pay its participation fee in full but the Reference Group could recommend to the TV Committee of the EBU that it impose either a financial fine (between 5% and 10% of the fee) or an exclusion from the Contest of up to three years.

The Reference Group decided to recommend that Serbia & Montenegro should pay their fee, but face no further sanctions � such as a fine or exclusion.

The TV Committee is expected to decide whether to accept this recommendation during their meeting on 19 April in Oviedo, Spain.

Source: press release on eurovision.tv.