France to drop carbon tax plan

Posted By Joshua Keating Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 11:33 AM Share

France was poised to become the first major economy to tax carbon emissions, but thanks to legal and political setbacks, it's not to be: 

A tax would have to be introduced at a European level in order "not to harm the competitiveness of French companies," Francois Fillon was quoted as saying by several MPs of the governing UMP party who attended a meeting with him.[...]

Speaking after the UMP was badly beaten in regional elections seen as a punishment vote for Sarkozy, Fillon said the government's reform priorities were "growth, jobs, competitiveness and fighting deficits," the MPs told AFP.

Given the tricky logic of climate change regulations, in which no country wants to make painful cuts without assurances that other countries aren't gaining advantage, this is an international setback as well. 

EXPLORE:EUROPE, ENVIRONMENT
 

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