Nine EU countries form splinter group on financial tax

A group of nine euro-countries led by France and Germany on Tuesday (7 February) asked the Danish EU presidency to fast-track plans for a financial transactions tax - a move indicating they will forge ahead on their own in the absence of an EU-wide consensus.

"We strongly believe in the need for a financial transactions tax implemented at European level as a crucial instrument to secure a fair contribution from the financial sector to the costs of the financial crisis and to better regu...