18/05/2021 (Agence Europe) – The European Parliament gave a favourable opinion (673 votes in favour, 3 against and 20 abstentions) on Tuesday 18 May on the Commission’s proposal to exempt from value added tax (VAT) the goods and services that the EU makes available to Member States and citizens in times of crisis, presented in mid-April (see EUROPE 12696/8). The proposal, which takes the form of a Directive amending the ‘VAT Directive’, will allow the Commission and other EU agencies and bodies to import and purchase goods and services free of VAT when they are intended for distribution in the context of emergency interventions within the EU, such as natural disasters and public health emergencies. Although its scope is broader, it remains particularly relevant in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The text has yet to be formally adopted by the EU Council. (MF)