France wants a 'carbon tax' on EU imports

France wants a 'carbon tax' on EU imports


NEW DELHI/PARIS: In a dampener for India, the French government is set to insist that the European Union impose a carbon tax on imports from
countries such as India which are supposed to have ``low environmental standards''.

EU is India's single-largest trading partner, accounting for over 20% of its exports, and New Delhi has already made it clear that any such measure would be another form of protectionism, something India has been actively campaigning against ahead of climate talks in Copenhagen.

A highly-placed official of the French government told TOI in Paris that there was a consensus emerging in EU for such a tax even though he hastened to add that the move was not directed at India. ``India is doing its bit and it is represented by tough negotiators who have sounded convincing in explaining India's stand,'' the official said.

However, the fact is that France and EU want carbon tax as a punitive and fallback option for countries which show no concern for the climate change issue, said the official who is also associated with the functioning of the French mission in Brussels.

While the official sought to allay India's fears over such a move, the fact is that French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been insisting domestically that countries have to respect the "rules of carbon emission reduction to be able to export to France", the driving force behind EU. He has found powerful supporters in Germany and Italy.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/France-wants-a-carbon-tax-on-EU-imports/articleshow/5282146.cms