BERLIN (Thomson Financial) - Germany and France are still at odds over EU-wide plans to reduce car emissions and will not sign an agreement at a bilateral summit next week, a German government spokesman said.
'Talks at technical level are difficult and complicated in detail and I believe that the experts still have to talk about a whole range of issues,' government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm told a news conference.
'Therefore as a result of this situation, we do not expect an agreement can be announced on Monday,' when French and German ministers meet in Straubing in southern Germany, Wilhelm said.
The summit, attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other senior figures, comes ahead of Paris's six-month presidency of the European Union from July 1.
Brussels wants to impose a carbon emissions limit of 120 grammes per kilometre on all new EU cars by 2012.
Berlin opposes the plans as vehicles made by German firms like BMW, Daimler and Porsche tend to be larger, luxury vehicles with greater emissions.
France supports the legislation as French carmakers like Renault and Peugeot are more focused on the market for smaller and therefore less polluting cars. maria.sheahan@thomsonreuters.com afp/mas/ra COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.
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