EU fails again to agree energy tax directive

Resumen de Prensa            Enervía, viernes, 21 marzo 2003

FUENTE: Platts


Europe's economics and finance ministers failed to reach agreement on energy taxes yet again Wednesday at an emergency meeting in Brussels, a Greek government spokesman said Thursday. The meeting was called by Greece, which holds the EU presidency until end June, to try to get consensus among EU member states on an energy tax directive before the EU summit on Friday. The directive needs unanimous agreement to pass into law. "The main difficulty previously had come from Italy, but it was overcome [Wednesday]," the Greek spokesman said. "France and Italy both have two years to phase out tax breaks on fuel for truck drivers. Now Austria is not ready to agree to (the directive)."