I've never experienced this error since I use Docbook. I've looked it up and found out that this error was fixed earlier in the past (and also I gave a try to do the same steps as it was explained). Unfortunately, I haven't managed to fix it on my own yet.
Here is the error message that FOP gives:
WARNING: The following feature isn't implemented by Apache FOP, yet: table-layout="auto" (on fo:table) (See position 2:182518)
2011.10.19. 11:19:37 org.apache.fop.events.LoggingEventListener processEvent SEVERE: Invalid property value encountered in column-width="proportional-column- width(1)": org.apache.fop.fo.expr.PropertyException:
file:/c:/fajlok/teszt/book.fo:2:182518: proportional-column-width() function may only be used when fo:table has table-layout="fixed".; property:'column-width' (See position 2:182598)
org.apache.fop.fo.expr.PropertyException:
file:/c:/fajlok/teszt/book.fo:2:182518: proportional-column-width() function may only be used when fo:table has table-layout="fixed".; property:'column-width'
Basically it notifies me that in FOP hasn't been implemented the table-layout="auto" feature yet.