Brussels, 22/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - Last Friday, without debate, the Ecofin Council approved renewal of the minimum standard VAT rate at its present 15% level, until 31 December 2005. The Fifteen also undertake to "make every effort to avoid widening the current span of 10 percentage points" that to date separates the standard VAT rates applied in the European Union, even if no ceiling has been officially adopted.
The European Commission thus plans to limit the difference between VAT...