France isolated in oil tax row

Proposals by French finance minister Nicolas Sarkozy to give consumers a tax windfall to offset higher oil prices have been roundly criticised by his EU colleagues.

Mr Sarkozy is under pressure from French farmers and truckers to act after oil prices reached new highs today (21 October).

But his plan to act unilaterally drew fire from several other finance ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg today.

Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm - who chaired the meeting - said th...