POITIERS, France, Oct 28 - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said on Tuesday that while the European Union's Growth and Stability Pact should be maintained, Germany and France needed to ensure growth. Schroeder, addressing a joint news conference in the western French city of Poitiers with French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, also said he hoped the EU would avoid a confrontation with the two countries over their pact-busting budgets. Schroeder said at a dinner the previous evening that both countries would pursue policies that encourage growth, sending the message that budget constraints should not hold back Europe's two biggest economies.//www..com