EU, WC want to get outsiders more tickets

 BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union and World Cup organizers held talks Thursday amid new EU charges that the France '98 ticket allocation discriminated against foreigners.
 The French organizing committee met with administrators of the executive Commission of the 15-country EU to explain the seat distribution for the World Cup, a procedure which has angered many European qualifying countries that are unable to satisfy ticket requests.
 "Why do they discriminate," asked EU Commissioner Karel Van Miert on Thursday.
 The EU has already sent an official warning letter to the French organizing committee, known by its acronym CFO. It was the first step in a lengthy procedure that could result in heavy fines if the ticket allocation does not respect fair-trade rules.
 Under the current conditions 65 per cent of tickets are to be sold in France while only 20 per cent at most are reserved for the qualifying countries.
 Van Miert said the three months remaining ahead of the June 10-July 12 soccer tournament were not sufficient for all the necessary changes in the ticket allocation but he hoped organizers would be willing to do their utmost to make as many changes as possible.
 Meanwhile in Paris, French soccer fans will have a chance to score tickets to next July's World Cup semifinal matches for a fraction of the normal price and from an unusual source: the lottery.
 Francaise de Jeux, France's national lottery company, said Wednesday that in addition to the regular $1.2 million US fortune this weekend, lottery players will have the chance to win 20 semifinal tickets.
 Players will have to buy their lottery tickets before Saturday night, when numbers matching their receipts will be picked by a machine on national television.