Brussels, 29/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 25 February, the EPP group of the European Parliament opposed the application of the simplified procedure regarding the EP's opinion on the Commission's proposal to extend by two years, until 31 December 2017, the minimum VAT rate of 15%.
According to article 50 of the EP Regulation, after a first debate on a legislative proposal, “the Chair may propose that this proposed legislative act is approved without amendment”, unless at least one tenth of the members of the committee oppose this.
It is reported to have been the German MEP Werner Langen who made this request, in order to be able to table amendments to the report by Peter Simon (S&D, Germany). The argument is as follows: the Commission's proposal came too late, on 14 December of last year. However, the obligation not to have a 15% VAT rate was valid until 31 December 2015. The EPP group is therefore invoking the lack of continuity and wishes to stress this in an amendment. The cut-off date for amendments is therefore set at 3 March, with a discussion scheduled at the committee on economic and monetary affairs of the EP for 16 or 17 March, followed by a plenary vote - to be confirmed - in April rather than in March. (Original version in French by Elodie Lamer)