Five member states are pushing Brussels to impose extraordinary taxes on energy firms profiting from the war in Iran. The money should go to help people.
Finance and economy ministers from Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain have called on the European Commission (EC) to impose extraordinary taxes on energy companies profiting from the crisis caused by the war in Iran. TASR informs about it based on the report of the DPA agency.
- Ministers of five countries are asking the European Commission for extraordinary taxes on energy companies.
- The aim is to tax companies profiting from the crisis after the war in Iran.
- Politicians refer to the previous solidarity tax during the energy crisis.
- They propose the rapid introduction of a single pan-European instrument with a solid legal basis.
- Revenues from the tax are supposed to finance support without further burdening national budgets.
In a letter addressed to European Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra, the ministers refer to the solidarity tax that the European Union (EU) introduced during the energy crisis triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Given the current market disruption and financial pressure, the Commission should quickly introduce a similar pan-European instrument based on firm legal foundations, according to a document available to DPA.
Pan-European solution
According to the signatories, a pan-European solution would reassure citizens and businesses that the EU is interested in forcing those who profit from the war to contribute to easing the burden. The revenue should be used to finance support measures without imposing an additional burden on the budgets of EU member states, the call further states.
