BRUSSELS Belgium AP - Hopes of a reprieve for duty free sales for travelers within the European Union rose Tuesday as support for a planned abolition appeared to fade among EU finance ministers. France proposed extending the life of the popular tax-free sales on flights ports and ferry crossings for five years beyond June 30 1999 when the EU is scheduled to scrap them. Germany and Britain expressed support for the proposal. However any bid to save duty-free shopping needs the backing of all 15 EU nations and not all were ready to agree. Swedish Finance Minister Erik Asbrink was one who refused to budge. ``The position is unchanged'' he told reporters. In 1991 EU nations all voted to abolish the tax free shopping claiming it was incompatible with the notion of a borderless EU market. Now they need unanimity to reverse that decision. Airlines shipping companies and labor unions have pursued a high-profile campaign to reverse save duty-free. They claimed abolition of the dlrs 6.4-billion-a-year duty free industry will push up the cost of travel and throw some 150000 people out of work. The EU Commission argues that duty-free operators effectively enjoy a subsidy of dlrs 2.2 billion a year by not paying duties on their sales giving them an unfair advantage over other retailers. The ban only affects sales for travelers within the EU. Those traveling to or from the Union will still be able to enjoy tax free shopping. UR; pa-rac APW19981201.0411.txt.body.html APW19981201.0480.txt.body.html