Germany Slams French Proposal For CO2 Border Tax
AARE, Sweden (AFP)--Germany hit out Friday at French proposals for a carbon
border tax on non-European Union countries which don't agree on a new global
deal on climate change as "a new form of eco-imperialism."
The idea had been pushed for by France in 2008 during negotiations on the
E.U.'s climate package, which was approved by the European parliament last
December.
"We know the French position," said the German State Secretary for Environment
Matthias Machnig on the sidelines of a meeting between his E.U. counterparts in
Aare, central Sweden.
"It means every product coming into the European Union has to pay for its CO2
footprint," he told AFP.
"The signal would be, and that is what some of the developing countries always
fear, this is a new form of eco-imperialism, that we are closing our markets to
their products," Machnig said.
"We have to build up trust, not show what kind of economic instruments we can
build up to put pressure on them," he added.
Machnig said he was confident that a deal would be struck at the upcoming
climate change talks in Copenhagen this December, but acknowledged "it's a
question of political willingness."
However, France wants the CO2 border tax to be introduced if no agreement is
reached.
The border tax differs from national methods used by countries such as Sweden,
which taxes carbon emissions to reduce greenhouse gas.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
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