Sarkozy wants more environmental protectionism

Europe must protect itself against environmental dumping from nations with lower standards, French president Nicolas Sarkozy said on Thursday in a speech outlining his plan for sorting out the economic crisis and redefining the European project.

France has long argued for tax border adjustments to protect the competitiveness of the European industry. It proposed a carbon dioxide tax on imports of goods from countries with weak climate rules, but the idea was rejected by the European Commission.