Brussels, 12/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 11 April, members of the economic and monetary affairs committee in the European Parliament adopted, by a slim majority, the consultative report by Astrid Lulling (EPP-ED, Luxembourg) on the draft directive adjusting minimum excise duty levels on alcohol in line with inflation (see EUROPE 9261). They called for these minimum levels to be scrapped and suggested replacing directive 92/84/EEC with a code of conduct. The EP will hold a first reading vote at its May plenary session. Following the difficulties the Council had at the end of 2006 in finding a unanimous political agreement on the Commission's draft directive, an external study is being carried out into the application of minimum excise duties, including on wine, in the EU. The outcome is still expected during the German presidency (see EUROPE 9316).
The Commission proposal sought to increase minimum excise levels on alcoholic beverages, supposedly, said Ms Lulling in a press release, to take account of inflation and to avoid any fall in the real value of the levels. She added that it had to be recognised that directive 92/84/EEC had not managed in 15 years to bring convergence in excise levels - quite the opposite. Believing that in this area there was no trade distortion, she said that there was no longer any reason to set minimum levels.
MEPs took on board the proposal from Zsolt Becsey (EPP-ED, Hungary) to put a code of conduct in place. This non-binding instrument would allow member states whose excise levels are above the EU average to freeze their duties before gradually lowering them, and those states with excise levels below the Community average to consider raising them to an appropriate level. In both cases, member states could take their general economic situation into account before deciding whether or not to follow the code of conduct.
Alain Lipietz (Greens/EFA, France), in a press release, criticised the Parliamentary committee vote. “This vote is scandalous, a snub to Europe and its citizens. In seeking to undo the acquis communautaire on coordinating minimum excise duty levels, the members of the EPP-ED group and the majority of the Liberal group are sending out a very negative signal to member states”. Indicating that he was a member of the winetasters' association, “la Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin et de la Bourgogne”, he said that there, nonetheless, had to be “a taxation margin on all types of alcohol at European level, and this includes on wine and sparkling wine, so as to make it useless to smuggle alcohol and to favour quality wines”. (mb)