Brussels, 23/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - Interviewed on Friday, Gilles Gantelet, Commission spokesman explained that in principle, the Commission was opposed to an Italian project and that of other Member States' to reduce taxes on oil. The countries in question are attempting to respond to the sharp increase in crude oil prices on the world market. Quoted by AFP, Gantelet said that if a country decided to reduce duties for a particular sector, it would involve state aid and had to be notified to the European Commission, which was the only body that had the authority to make a decision on these matters. The spokesperson also added that in the case of road transport, it was more than doubtful that the Commission would authorise the reduction as it considered that it involved illegal aid which infringed competition. He also pointed out that EU finance ministers had made recent political commitments to not take unilateral decisions in this area and to co-ordinate amongst themselves before taking measures to counter oil price rises.