EU citizens insist jet fuel must be taxed

(EurActiv, 30 Apr 2019) Airplane fuel’s tax-free status could soon be grounded after the European Commission agreed on Tuesday (30 April) to register an official petition that calls for an end to kerosene’s exemption.

The Taxing KerosenEU Citizens’ Initiative was successful in lodging a “legally admissible” petition with the Commission, and the EU executive concluded that it is within its area of competence to get involved with environmental and indirect taxation matters.

The petition calls on the Commission to “propose to member states the introduction of a tax on aviation fuel (kerosene)” claiming that “the aviation sector enjoys tax advantages despite being one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions”.

International agreements currently grant airlines their derogation but a revision of the Energy Taxation Directive is seen by experts as a way of ending kerosene’s free ride.

At this stage, EU HQ has not looked into the details of the initiative but if it garners at least 1 million signatures from at least seven different countries over the course of a year, the Commission will be obliged to examine it and respond within three months.

Under the Citizens’ Initiatives scheme, civil society groups can register petitions on a whole range of subjects and there is already a precedent of successful initiatives affecting policymaking. The most notable example to date is new rules on drinking water.

External link

EurActiv, 30 Apr 2019: EU citizens insist jet fuel must be taxed