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Sarkozy gives France green plan Sarkozy gives France green plan
(30 minutes later)
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has used a speech on the environment to call for taxes on polluters and for French use of pesticides to be halved.French President Nicolas Sarkozy has used a speech on the environment to call for taxes on polluters and for French use of pesticides to be halved.
He also said the commercial planting of genetically-modified crops would be suspended in France.He also said the commercial planting of genetically-modified crops would be suspended in France.
Mr Sarkozy was speaking at the end of a national conference on the environment.Mr Sarkozy was speaking at the end of a national conference on the environment.
He promised total transparency on environmental issues, including nuclear energy, and vowed to change transport policy to prioritise non-road traffic.He promised total transparency on environmental issues, including nuclear energy, and vowed to change transport policy to prioritise non-road traffic.
"The aim is to tax pollution - notably fossil fuels - more, and tax work less," Mr Sarkozy said. "We need to profoundly revise all of our taxes and charges. The aim is to tax pollution - notably fossil fuels - more, and tax work less," Mr Sarkozy said.
He called on the European Union to study in the next six months "the possibility of taxing imports from countries that do not respect the Kyoto Protocol" - the international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions.He called on the European Union to study in the next six months "the possibility of taxing imports from countries that do not respect the Kyoto Protocol" - the international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The conference failed to produce agreement on the future role of nuclear power, which accounts for 80% of the electricity generated in France, the AFP news agency reports.