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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 8, AUGUST 1994

NEWS... EU TAX UPDATE

Shortly before Germany started its six-month term in the Presidency of the European Union in July, German Environment Minister Klaus Töpfer announced that adoption of the EU carbon/energy tax would be a priority. With France (which gets most of its power from non-fossil, nuclear generation) succeeding Germany next January, prospects for passing the tax seemed to be improving. (See Intl. Environ. Rptr., pp. 591-592, July 13; and focus report in Global Environ. Change Rep., pp. 1-3, July 22.)

However, in late July, EU finance ministers effectively rejected the carbon/energy tax proposal, choosing instead to investigate using existing taxes on oil products to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. (See ibid., p. 3, Aug. 12; Intl. Environ. Rptr., pp. 658-659, Aug. 10.)

Among the member countries of the European Union, Germany has seen carbon/energy taxes become an issue in the upcoming parliamentary elections (See Energy, Econ. & Clim. Change, p. 11, Aug.) The Swiss government has submitted a proposal for a similar tax to the public consultation process. The tax will be subject to a general vote in 1995.