Hungary slammed for 'absurd' proposal to delay aviation fuel levy until 2049
A leaked document suggests Budapest wants to abandon the idea of setting a minimum levy on the kerosene that powers the booming airline industry before mid-century, in an apparent bid to unblock a stalled reform of European energy taxation rules that has sparked outrage among environmentalists. The European Commission proposed three years ago a reform to the 2003 Energy Taxation Directive as part of a package of measures to achieve the new target of a 55% cut in CO2 emissions by 2030, including a proposal to scrap the blanket exemption for aviation and maritime fuels. But the bill has been subject to repeated delay, exacerbated by the fact that tax is one of a handful of policy areas where EU legislation can only be enacted if backed unanimously by all 27 member states. In a compromise proposal seen by Euronews that looks to break a deadlock in intergovernmental talks, current EU Council presidency holder Hungary has suggested minimum tax rates for aviation and maritime fuels should be postponed until 2049. For Jo Dardenne, lead campaigner on aviation issues at the NGO umbrella group Transport & Environment in Brussels, the idea was wildly at odds with the EU’s climate policy targets. “It’s hard to find the words to describe the absurdity of a proposal to delay the introduction of a jet and maritime fuel tax to 2049, if not for ever," Dardenne said. “With its proposal, the Hungarian government has completely obliterated the very purpose of this last piece of the Green Deal, which was to put a price on dirty fuels.”<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-09-10/general/hungary-slammed-for-absurd-proposal-to-delay-aviation-fuel-levy-until-2049
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Hungary slammed for 'absurd' proposal to delay aviation fuel levy until 2049
A leaked document suggests Budapest wants to abandon the idea of setting a minimum levy on the kerosene that powers the booming airline industry before mid-century, in an apparent bid to unblock a stalled reform of European energy taxation rules that has sparked outrage among environmentalists. The European Commission proposed three years ago a reform to the 2003 Energy Taxation Directive as part of a package of measures to achieve the new target of a 55% cut in CO2 emissions by 2030, including a proposal to scrap the blanket exemption for aviation and maritime fuels. But the bill has been subject to repeated delay, exacerbated by the fact that tax is one of a handful of policy areas where EU legislation can only be enacted if backed unanimously by all 27 member states. In a compromise proposal seen by Euronews that looks to break a deadlock in intergovernmental talks, current EU Council presidency holder Hungary has suggested minimum tax rates for aviation and maritime fuels should be postponed until 2049. For Jo Dardenne, lead campaigner on aviation issues at the NGO umbrella group Transport & Environment in Brussels, the idea was wildly at odds with the EU’s climate policy targets. “It’s hard to find the words to describe the absurdity of a proposal to delay the introduction of a jet and maritime fuel tax to 2049, if not for ever," Dardenne said. “With its proposal, the Hungarian government has completely obliterated the very purpose of this last piece of the Green Deal, which was to put a price on dirty fuels.”<br/>
