Transaction tax could be levied from 2014-EU's tax chief

Germany, France and nine other euro zone countries could levy a tax on financial transactions from January next year if governments quickly agree its design, the EU's tax chief said on Tuesday.

"If there is a political will among participating member states to negotiate it quickly, then there is a possibility that it could enter into force from the first of January, 2014," Algirdas Semeta, the European commissioner in charge of tax policy, told reporters after EU ministers backed the scheme.

(Reporting by John O'Donnell; editing by Robin Emmott)