Newspaper: France to Introduce Ban on Resale of Autos Possibly Contaminated

PARIS - A Paris newspaper recently reported that the country's government intends to introduce a measure early next year that would ban the resale of cars produced before 1997 because of fear they might contain parts made with asbestos.

The so-far unconfirmed report was published in the Paris newspaper Ouest France last month and was met with a cold reception from representatives of France's automobile industry.

"This is a total regulatory aberration because from 1 January 2001, there'll be 20 million vehicles that will be unsellable," the newspaper quoted the managing director of the French automobile industry council as saying.