Finance ministers call for European aviation tax

Nine European finance ministers have called on the incoming EC to make progress on a European aviation tax as part of efforts to reduce the airline industry’s environmental impact. The finance ministers of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden urged the commission to propose an EU initiative to raise the price of commercial aviation. “Compared to most other means of transportation, aviation is not sufficiently priced,” the ministers said. “Aviation transport is exempted from excise duties, no VAT is levied on international flights, there is no coordinated ticket tax, and economic instruments to curb greenhouse gas emissions can be strengthened in the aviation sector.” <br/>