Around the World: France

EU presidency's cost high

France's presidency of the European Union last year cost twice as much as the average due to poor management and an excessively ambitious programme, the head of the Senate finance committee told a French paper. Committee chairman Jean Arthuis told La Tribune newspaper that France's six-month rotating presidency cost 151 million euros ($226.1 million), compared to an EU average of around 70 million euros.

France's turn at the EU helm was widely praised at the time, with President Nicolas Sarkozy proving highly active on the diplomatic front in efforts to tackle the economic crisis and to broker a truce in fighting between Russia and Georgia.