Czechs roll out the barrel over beer tax dispute

PRAGUE, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The Czech Republic plans to send a barrel of beer to Brussels as an "extraordinary ambassador" to show its opposition to a proposed rise in EU alcohol taxes.

The world's biggest beer-drinking nation per capita is opposed to a 31 percent rise in the minimum EU duty on beer and spirits proposed last month by the bloc's executive arm.

"Beer is part of Czech culture, like wine is part of the culture of the French," Foreign Minister Alexandr Vondra said in a statement on Wednesday.

The rise, which needs the unanimous approval of the EU's 25 member states, would add one euro cent (about 1.3 U.S. cents) to the price of a half litre of beer.

But Czech Finance Minister Vlastimil Tlusty -- who will also head to Brussels alongside the barrel for a meeting of EU finance ministers -- has already said that Prague is prepared to veto the proposed tax rise.

Czechs take their beer very seriously. The pilsener brewing process was created centuries ago in the city of Plzen, about 80km (48 miles) southwest of Prague.

((Reporting by Alan Crosby, editing by Paul Casciato; prague.newsroom@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: alan.crosby.reuters.com@reuters.net; +420 224 190 477))

Keywords: ODD CZECH BEER