WASHINGTON Predictions concerning next year’s Senate vote on NATO expansion run the gamut from “it’ll be a squeaker” to “overwhelmingly in favor.” In any case, President Clinton concedes he must mount an intense lobbying effort to prevail when the Senate votes, probably in mid-1998, on the NATO proposal he championed to admit Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to the alliance.

PARIS The European Commission, as expected, is threatening to penalize Boeing and McDonnell Douglas if they follow through with their merger as currently envisioned. According to U.S. experts, however, the merger clearly is a U.S. transaction and it would be “contrary to reasonable expectations” for the EC to take enforcement actions.

LOS ANGELES Fuel tank design assumes that explosive fumes are present, and safety is based on precluding ignition sources. But as shown in a series of 26 accidents and incidents cited by the FAA, this principle does not always work. The National Transportation Safety Board’s position, expressed in Dec. 13 recommendations to the FAA, is that ignition sources are so insidious that industry should also make the fumes nonexplosive.