But prices are still much higher than some consumers are willing to pay. A recent opinion poll in Germany revealed that two out of every five German car drivers intend to cut down on their motoring because petrol has become so expensive. The European Union is putting pressure on oil-exporting countries to further boost production and get the price down to more normal levels. But crude oil prices account for less than half of the increases at the pumps. Most of it is due to increases in fuel taxes collected by governments.
Taxes are a major source of revenue for spending on health and education.
It is also a way of trying to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging people to switch to public transport. Industrial action Groups like the fishermen and farmers complained this extra cost was putting their livelihoods in danger. European affairs analyst William Horsley says the series of concessions won by direct action in France have encouraged protesters elsewhere to follow the same methods. The protests have spread to Belgium, Germany, the UK, Italy and Ireland. In Germany, it has meant ignoring the country's strict laws against unauthorised strike action.