EU trade commissioner slams green tax

Fairfax Business Media Summary
Tuesday, 19th December, 2006

A special green tax proposed by the French government has been rejected by the European Union's trade commissioner despite rising support for the proposal. The tax would be levelled against the imports of countries that have not signed the Kyoto treaty on climate change, including Australia. Commissioner Peter Mandelson has moved to head off the proposal, warning that there was no legal basis for imposing penalty taxes because it was not illegal to refuse to sign the Kyoto Protocol.