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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 7, NUMBER 4, APRIL 1994

NEWS...

• EUROPEAN UNION TAX

Item #d94apr144

Another carbon/energy tax proposal was considered at a March meeting of EU environment ministers. Formulated by ministers and representatives from Greece, the plan would set an initial tax of $3 per barrel of oil equivalent, but would allow member states to count existing environmental taxes toward this sum. It would not require that the tax be fully offset with tax reductions in other parts of the economy. See Intl. Environ. Rptr., pp. 298-299, Apr. 6; Energy, Econ. & Clim. Change, pp. 11-12, Mar.

A report by the Commission of the European Communities presented at the meeting concludes that there is no guarantee that present national programs will enable the EU to meet its goal of stabilizing CO2 emissions by the year 2000, and that measures such as the proposed tax should be emphasized. First Evaluation of Existing National Programs Under the Monitoring Mechanism of Community CO2 and Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions is discussed extensively in Energy, Econ. & Clim. Change (pp. 6-8, Mar.), which suggests that the failure of the EU to agree on an aggressive program is generating cynicism about the EU's intentions, and weakening support for strong climate policies elsewhere.