PARIS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Electricity prices in France are expected to rise around 12% by February, French environment minister Barbara Pompili said on Thursday, highlighting inflationary pressures sweeping Europe.

Energy prices have been rising sharply around the world over the last few months, adding to inflationary pressures and threatening to dent consumers' spending powers.

"We are expecting a rise in the region of around 12%," Pompili told C News TV regarding French prices.

France's CRE regulator said this month that regulated gas prices would go up 12.6% in October.

The French government said this month it would make a one-off 100 euros ($85.40) payment to the 5.8 million households that receive energy vouchers, to help ease the cost of those higher energy bills.

($1 = 1.1714 euros) (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Matthieu Protard and Jean-Stephane Brosse; Editing by Edmund Blair)