FACTBOX: Picture of fuel duties around EU

(Reuters) - Soaring oil prices are triggering protests across Europe. Here are some details on the cost of fuel around the European Union:

BACKGOUND:

-- Taxes on fuel includes duty and VAT. Britain levies the highest fuel duty in the European Union, but charges 17.5 percent VAT, one of the lowest in the EU apart from Cyprus, Luxembourg and Spain.

* Here is a table which shows the price of petrol and diesel, excluding VAT and duty, from highest to lowest and the total price at the pump in several EU countries. The figures are in Euros per liter as at May 19, 2008:

COUNTRY: PETROL:

BEFORE DUTY & TAX PUMP PRICE:

NETHERLANDS .70 1.62

BELGIUM .63 1.50

DENMARK .63 1.48

PORTUGAL .62 1.46

AUSTRIA .61 1.32

FRANCE .60 1.44

FINLAND .60 1.48

GERMANY .59 1.49

SWEDEN .58 1.44

BRITAIN .57 1.41