Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-10-04-Speech-3-250"
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"en.20001004.11.3-250"2
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".
The question raised by the honourable Member is extremely topical but, in order to be able to give a clear answer, I have to remind you of the origin of Community law on fuel tax. In 1987, the Commission submitted several proposals on indirect taxation in order to abolish the fiscal borders as part of completing the internal market. Regarding duty, the aim of the Commission was to achieve complete harmonisation of taxation on mineral oils within the Community by introducing a unique duty for each type of product. Had these measures met with approval, unfair competition, as intimated by the honourable member today, would almost certainly have been ruled out. However, this proposal instead met with heavy protest from certain Member States.
In 1989, the Commission submitted a new proposal which was to offer more flexibility. That proposal which, in addition to minimum rates, also provided for narrow rate bands and target rates, was once again rejected by the Member States. Eventually, in 1992, the Member States unanimously decided on the introduction of a Community system of tax levies on mineral oils which only provided for a minimum tax rate for each type of mineral oil on the basis of its use; i.e. as fuel for motor vehicles, for industrial and commercial use or for heating. I would thus like to underline that the Community minimum rates have not been reviewed since 1992 and that today, in practice, duty levels often far exceed the Community minimum rates and also differ greatly from country to country. As the honourable Member pointed out, the duty on fuel and diesel used as motor fuel which applies in the United Kingdom is the highest in Europe, but duties on fuel oil and kerosene, at least if – and insofar as – these are used for industrial and commercial purposes or even for heating, remain far below the highest values applicable within the Union, as is also the case with the duty on heavy fuel oil. It is thus a mixed bag and it is not the case that all duties on mineral oils are higher in the United Kingdom than elsewhere in Europe.
Finally, if duties on mineral oils are laid down at a high level, this does not lead to non-compliance with Community regulations in terms of competition. Government aid, on the other hand, could exist, as a form of government aid, only if certain specific sectors were to enjoy exemptions from general regulations, and the compatibility or otherwise of such aid measures with the Treaty would then have to be examined. This concludes my response for the time being."@en1
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