Brussels, 10/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Greens/EFA group at the European Parliament has reacted sharply to the support announced by Germany (which until now was hostile) to France's plan to allow regions modify fuel taxes. German Green Michael Cramer expressed his criticism in a press release of the German finance minister's "about-turn". The latter last week indicated that he would now support the French proposal at the Council of the EU. Mr Cramer said that rather than encouraging "petrol pump tourism", which would cause competition distortion, they should be orientated towards petrol tax harmonisation. He also warned that if they began by introducing specific systems like this, they would open the door to downward tax competition that would help the already heavily subsidised road transport industry. He said that this industry should have "honest prices that took its costs into account". The German Green in this context not only alluded to costs for building and maintaining roads but also the "enormous costs resulting from environmental damage such as the destruction of forests and climate change". He said that this was why European harmonisation of fuel tax had to be done at a "high level". Cramer explained that this was the only way to keep up the pressure on the industry so that it build cars that were economical energy-wise. He pointed out that China was introducing "clear regulatory limits for consumption, which resulted in gas-guzzlers not longer being imported".