Loss of fuel duty could cost governments billions in tax revenues. William Todts, executive director at T&E, explains why, even as an environmentalist, we should be taxing electric cars
Politicians from the liberal FDP (Renew), part of Germany's three-party ruling coalition, have criticised European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for not ruling out a new debt-financed EU investment programme.
Despite the presentation of a new compromise text to national governments on Thursday (April 25), no serious progress is expected on the revision of the energy taxation directive before the next term of the EU Parliament and Commission.
In the debate about a follow-up programme after the end of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), a think-tank close to centre-right EPP has criticised “significant flaws” in the current programme, including the lack of a plan for repaying the joint EU debt.
Germany’s Finance Minister Christian Lindner has defended the country’s constitutional ‘debt brake’ against criticism from his coalition partners after a ruling by the constitutional court last year aggravated the government’s budgetary constraints.
The head of the EU’s auditing body warned that there is “absolutely” a risk that recent news of the alleged embezzlement of hundreds of millions of euros from the bloc’s pandemic recovery fund could reoccur in future.
Given the continued investment needs into the green and digital transition, there was a need for a “permanent” EU-level fund, EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said at an event on Tuesday (9 April), highlighting that the “temporary nature” of the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) has prevented it from unleashing its full potential.
Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner took aim at his coalition partners' stance on the country's debt brake rules on Wednesday (13 March), underscoring the widening divide between the country's three ruling parties.
Centre-right and national-conservative groups in the European Parliament have voiced strong opposition to a renewed joint-debt programme at the EU level, after calls for a Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) ‘2.0’ mushroomed over the last few weeks to close a gap for public investments.
Euractiv got hold of the Belgian Presidency's plan to unblock the EU Energy Taxation Directive, which is currently stuck because of the unanimity rule applying to tax matters. Wood for heating and charcoal will be exempted from the scope under the proposal.
The European Commission cut its growth outlook for both Europe and the eurozone on Thursday (15 February), revising it down from its autumn projection amid persistent geopolitical headwinds and stubborn economic headaches in Germany.
The much-delayed reform of the EU’s fiscal rules agreed between the European Parliament and Council over the weekend will hamper the bloc’s ability to make critical investments in green technology and Europe’s defence industry, experts interviewed by Euractiv said.
Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts noted that the new EU fiscal rules will prevent the bloc from investing the estimated €260 billion extra per year required to reach its net zero target by 2050.
Belgian finance minister Vincent Van Peteghem has said that developing an 'Industrial Deal' will be one of the key priorities of his country’s EU Council presidency, adding that “cutting red tape” and improving the bloc’s general investment climate are key to arresting the bloc’s industrial decline.
After a process of almost 4 years, the negotiations on the reform of the EU’s fiscal rules have entered the very last phase: Trilogues ahead! Time is pressing, so let’s have a look at what is still open to change.
With an overwhelming majority, the European Parliament adopted its negotiating position for the EU rules on national debts and deficits, despite Green fears that it could lead to renewed austerity and destabilise the European Union.
Ahead of a vote in the European Parliament on new debt rules for EU countries, the Greens co-president Philippe Lamberts warned against the “end of the European Union as we know it” in a worst-case scenario where renewed austerity gives rise to populists and too little military spending lets Putin win the war in Ukraine.
The ruling from the German constitutional court in Karlsruhe, declaring the transfer of 60 billion Euros in Covid-related debt to the Klima- und Transformationsfond (KTF) unlawful, has cast a shadow of uncertainty over Germany's economic security agenda, argues Tobias Gehrke.
After months of negotiations, the finance ministers of EU countries on Wednesday (20 December) agreed on a new set of rules to govern member state finances.
Much is at stake in the reform of EU debt rules, which could also threaten the very existence of the euro, Social Democrat MEP Joachim Schuster told Euractiv in an interview.
The German government has resolved its internal disagreements on how to deal with a €60 billion hole left in the government’s finances after a ruling by the country’s constitutional court, announcing a mix of expenditure cuts and additional sources of income.
French political heavyweights are raising their voices to warn against the risks of an unbalanced and counterproductive debt rules reform, as negotiations look to wrap up before year-end and austere German criteria appear to be here to stay.
A coalition of Social Democrats, Liberals, and Conservatives in the economic committee of the European Parliament approved on Monday (11 December) a draft opinion on the EU's fiscal rules reform, which the Green and Left groups opposed for their likely negative effect on public investment.
Germany’s governing SPD party (S&D) has kicked off its party convention with calls for more public investments, including by circumventing and reforming the country’s ‘debt brake’.
