LUXEMBOURG, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A stand-off between France and Germany over the future competitiveness of their industries will be the central point of discussion when EU energy ministers meet in Luxembourg on Tuesday, EU diplomats said. The new rules seek to protect consumers from volatile fossil fuel markets with a shift to more long-term, fixed-price contracts. Berlin fears that France, with its vast nuclear fleet, will be able to offer such contracts to its existing nuclear energy fleet - then use excess revenues generated by these contracts on subsidising industries. Central and eastern European countries that have nuclear expansion ambitions of their own are backing France. Spain, which holds the EU presidency until the year-end, has tried to find a compromise and at one point suggested axing article 19b entirely.

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Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, Julia Payne, Kate Abnett, Christina Fincher Organizations: European Commission, Thomson Locations: LUXEMBOURG, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Europe, Berlin, Central, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Spain