FACTBOX-Fuel protests in Europe

(Reuters) - Truckers and fishermen across Europe held protests on Wednesday against rising world oil prices, demanding government action to hold down prices at the pumps.

Here are some details on the recent protests:

* BRITAIN:

-- Truckers converged on London in convoy on Tuesday, closing a busy main road and causing traffic backlogs.

-- Similar protests took place in Wales. Welsh hauliers also threatened to blockade ports and refineries if the government doesn't help, stirring memories of refinery blockades in 2000 that caused shortages in some areas.

-- The drivers said fuel bills had risen by almost a half in a year and demanded a rebate. Britain has the highest fuel duty in the European Union.

* BULGARIA:

-- Hundreds of Bulgarian truckers launched protests in the capital Sofia, the Black Sea port city of Varna and the Danube port city of Russe on Wednesday, demanding lower excise duties on fuels as well as measures to stop the rise in fuel prices.

* FRANCE:

-- French fishermen continued their long-running protest against high diesel costs on Wednesday as truckers and farmers weighed in with demands for the government to take action.

-- The fishermen, who staged similar protests last year, want government help to cushion the effects of surging marine fuel prices that have eaten away their profit margins.

-- Diesel has gone up by 30 percent in 2008 and the fishermen say they want it discounted at half the market price.

-- About 100 farmers blocked access to an oil depot run by Total just outside the city of Toulouse to demand the government exempt them from a special petrol tax known as TIPP.

-- French truckers group OTRE also threatened late on Tuesday to take action across France if the government failed to respond to their demands by Thursday evening.

* ITALY:

-- Italian fishermen in the Adriatic are expected to strike from Friday.

* NETHERLANDS:

-- Dutch truckers are planning a national day of action for Thursday to protest against rising diesel prices.

* SPAIN:

-- Spain's Fishermen's Confederation has called a protest in Madrid for Friday against high fuel prices and the main truckers' association has called a strike for June 8 to call for measures to cope with the high prices.

-- Farmers in Catalonia will also announce protests.

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit;)