Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-04-Speech-1-076"
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"en.20060904.18.1-076"2
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".
Madam President, I would like to thank you for the opportunity to say a few words on this proposal for a Council directive on passenger car related taxes. I wish to congratulate the rapporteur in her absence on an excellent report, which, I believe, is a very significant contribution to the debate.
I personally agree that taxation is the responsibility of the individual Member State. However, the thrust of this proposal would improve the functioning of the single market and, crucially, would greatly assist in our goal of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, without compromising the ability of any country to levy its own taxes. Ireland has one of the highest rates of VRT in Europe, with almost 10% of the total tax take coming from motorists. Last year its figures for VRT alone were in excess of EUR 1.5 billion, an increase of over 20% on the previous year, so the fact that Ireland will not be supporting this proposal will come as little surprise. But this is a short-sighted and short-term viewpoint, and we need to look at the wider implications.
I believe VRT is an anti-free market mechanism and one of the reasons why the EU passenger car market has not been functioning well. Indeed, consumers in nine Member States, including Ireland, have been penalised by a measure which has reduced their purchasing choices. The Commission’s proposal is a sensible one, particularly from an environmental perspective, since taxes levied on motorists would be linked to carbon dioxide emissions from the vehicle. Indeed, I agree with the suggestion in the report that other pollutant emissions should be part of the equation, although it might be difficult to include this measure initially.
Furthermore, I think it is an excellent idea that Member States be encouraged to apply fiscal incentives for passenger cars, in order to encourage the placing on the market of cars and vehicles that meet energy-saving and energy efficiency requirements. When governments set targets for reducing CO2 emissions, they have a responsibility to introduce mechanisms and structures that will facilitate this. The Commission’s proposal is an excellent one and I fully support it."@en1
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