Brussels, 24/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has sent Belgium a formal request (under Article 226 of the EC Treaty) to end discrimination in the Flemish registration tax when purchasing a house. Flanders deducts from the registration tax on the purchase of a house, the amount of the registration tax paid earlier on another house, provided it is in Flanders. Registration taxes paid in other Member States are not credited. The Commission therefore considers that the Flemish rule is contrary to the EC Treaty. If Belgium does not reply satisfactorily to the reasoned opinion within two months the Commission may refer the matter to the European Court of Justice. “Rules which tax EU citizens moving from one Member State to another more heavily than citizens moving within a Member State are against the EC Treaty." said Commissioner László Kovács in a press release.