Brussels, 14/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - At the end of a meeting Friday afternoon on the fringe of the Laeken Summit with Commissioner Mario Monti, German Finance Minister Hans Eichel announced an agreement to the press with the Commission on the authorisation of the next phase of the ecological tax reform ("okologische Steurreform") for a duration of 10 years. The German Government intends launching this next stage of the tax reform in 2002; the Commission's authorisation will therefore stretch to 2012. Mr. Eichel stressed that the ecotax was and remained an important instrument in Germany's efforts (and the EU's) at reducing the level of CO2 emissions, in compliance with the Kyoto Agreement. The ideal solution would be to achieve a European harmonisation on the tax on energy, said Eichel.