(Recasts with details, reaction)
By Huw Jones
BRUSSELS, March 10 (Reuters) - European Union finance ministers agreed a deal to apply reduced rates of sales tax on local services such as meals, haircuts and home repairs on Tuesday, ending a decade of haggling to help local businesses.
The EU has a patchwork of reduced rates of value-added tax (VAT) on local services but not all countries can levy reduced rates on the same products.
EU Tax Commissioner Laszlo Kovacs proposed that countries levy reduced rates on the same services, if they want to do so, to avoid big price hikes as the current system operating in 18 of the bloc's 27 states expires in 2010.
"We managed to speak a common European language even if strong national interests are at stake," said Miroslav Kalousek, finance minister for the Czech EU presidency.
The deal is part of a wider package to help the EU's smaller businesses, which tend to be local.
Unanimity is required in all EU tax matters which led to a decade of negotiations the ended up with key concessions to several countries in return for their support.
Cyprus was allowed to continue levying reduced rates on liquid gas cylinders, Portugal on its bridge tolls in Lisbon and Sweden was successful in extending reduced rates to audio books from printed books.
Britain won backing for a two-year extension to use a so-called reverse charge mechanism for tackling VAT fraud.
The standard rate of VAT in the EU is 15 percent and countries will have the right to cut this to five percent on the list of services agreed in the deal.
France has long wanted to apply rates below the standard 15 percent on restaurant meals to fulfil an election pledge by President Nicolas Sarkozy.
"The result is that the restaurant sector can benefit from reduced vat, according to the wish of each state," French Economy Minister, Christine Lagarde, told a news conference.
French UMIH labour union for hotel workers said 112,000 restaurants, 24,000 hotel-cafe-restaurants and 41,000 cafes will benefit from lower VAT.
Royal Bank of Scotland analysts calculated that it would lower French inflation by 25 to 40 basis points relative to other countries like Germany who will not apply reduced rates.
The European Builders Confederation said reduced rates of VAT were the best tool to fight undeclared work and foster job creation in the construction sector.
RED LINE ON GREEN PRODUCTS
The deal effectively vetoes further negotiations on reduced rates of VAT on any goods and services in the EU.
Germany, along with Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, and Lithuania signed a joint statement calling on other EU states to show restraint in applying reduced rates "in order to avoid contagious effects" and that reductions will strain public finances.
Germany also won backing from France to stop similar measures in future.
"After bilateral talks with my colleague Christine Lagarde, it is clear in the German-Franco relationship there will always be support that this barrel will not be reopened," Steinbruck told reporters.
France and Britain have been pushing Kovacs to propose reduced rates of VAT on energy-efficient goods this year but he said the Commission would now have to think very seriously about whether to go ahead.
"Today it was evident that a large number of member states consider this is the end of the road, that they do not want to have any further discussion on reduced VAT rates," Kovacs said.
Three countries, the finance ministers from Hungary, Austria and Latvia said they would need final approval from their governments for Tuesday's deal but Kalousek expected no problem.
(Additional reporting by Anna Willard and Ilona Wissenbach) (Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Jan Strupczewski/Victoria Main/Dale Hudson)