York pubs are taking advantage of the Ecofin conference to try to promote entente cordiale on the vexed issue of European alcohol duties.

More than 30 city pubs are to drop the price of one draught lager and one draught bitter next Friday - the start of the finance ministers' summit - by 25 pence a pint.

That is less than the difference between French and British beer duty. Chancellor Gordon Brown helps himself to 32 pence in taxes per pint, while his French counterpart only skims off fourpence a pint.

The Yorkshire Brewers & Licensed Retailers Association (BLRA), which is organising Friday's promotion, says the gulf in duty is to blame for a huge illegal bootlegging trade.

The equivalent of 1.4 million pints of cheap French beer are brought, duty-paid, into Britain every day. HM Customs estimate that 70 per cent of this is smuggled in.

And around 5.5 million pints a year reaches North Yorkshire.

This is killing off pubs and breweries. A van load of cheap French beer can contain 1,500 pints - more than the weekly trade of a small, local pub.

And it is robbing the Treasury of millions of pounds.

The BLRA is hoping that Mr Brown will announce a phased reduction in beer duty in the Budget on Tuesday. But, whatever happens, it is determined to push the point home during Ecofin weekend.

"If we are in the single market, we should abide by the spirit of the single market and harmonise taxes," said Peter Peake, secretary of the Yorkshire BLRA.

"We are living in anticipation of the British Government recognising this and reducing duty on Tuesday. "The effect on Yorkshire if no action is taken will be the continuing closure of pubs, rural pubs in particular.

"That would have a terrible impact on local communities where pubs perhaps are the last community centres."

All York pubs who are taking part on Friday are being supplied with French flags and decorations for the bar, and banners to hang outside.One of the landlords supporting the campaign, Bill Embleton, of Ye Olde Starre Inn in Stonegate, said many British pubs would be lost if alcohol duty was not reduced.

"This week we have all the ministers coming for Ecofin," he said.

"A lot of them will want to visit a traditional British pub. If things go on as they are, there won't be so many traditional British pubs. "Pubs are a unique part of British life. People come from across Europe and sit in here in awe."

He will be selling John Smith's for just £1.42 and Foster's for £1.58 a pint.

Geoff Henman, of the York branch of the Campaign For Real Ale, added: "We want to see duty reduced for all beers. We also think you would get more sustainable small breweries if there was a sliding scale of duty. It would allow them to sell there beers to the publican at a rate more competitive with the big breweries."

York pubs taking part: Ackhorne, St Martin's Lane; Black Swan, Peasholme Green; Bootham Tavern, Bootham Bar; Brewers Arms, Tanner Row; Corner Pin, Tanner Road; Cross Keys, Goodramgate; Cygnet, Price Street; Deramore, Heslington; Five Lions, Walmgate; Fox Inn, Holgate Road; Golden Fleece, Pavement; Golden Lion, Church Street; Harry's Caf Bar, Micklegate; Hole in the Wall, High Petergate; Keystone's, Monk Bar; Knavesmire, Albemarle Road; Locomotive Inn, Watson Street; Minster Inn, Marygate; Nag's Head, Micklegate; Northern Wall, Fossgate; Phalanx & Firkin, Micklegate; Old White Swan, Goodramgate; Punchbowl, Stonegate; Rose & Crown, Lawrence Street; Scruffy Murphy's Micklegate; Spread Eagle, Walmgate; Tap & Spile, Monkgate; Three Tuns, Coppergate; Turf Tavern, Thanet Road; Woolpack, Fawcett Street; Ye Olde Starre Inn, Stonegate.

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