LONDON, March 12, 2010 (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy criticised the United States on Friday over bidding rules for a tanker jet contract, saying it was not the way for Washington to treat its European allies.
    British premier Gordon Brown added he was "disappointed" at the changing of rules in favour of US aerospace giant Boeing, expected to win a multi-billion dollar contract to build an aerial refueling tanker plane for the US air force.
    "I admit that I did not appreciate this decision," Sarkozy said after talks with Brown in London.
    "These are methods which are not good for the partners of the United States, which is a great nation with which we are close and friends with," he added at a joint press conference.
    Brown added: "I too am disappointed about the American decision."
    Boeing is poised to win the 35 billion dollar (26 billion euro) contract to build the new refuelling tanker plane for the US Air Force after Northrop and European partner EADS dropped their joint offer.
    European officials and EADS, which owns French-based planemaker Airbus, charged that the Pentagon altered bidding rules for the contract in order to favour Boeing's all-American offer over the European bid.
    The European Commission has protested and a German minister has accused the United States of protectionism, warning that Berlin will take up the issue at the political level and at the World Trade Organisation.