Commission consults on Taxation for Commercial Diesel

Publication date: 26 July 2006

The White Paper European transport policy for 2010: time to decide (COM(2001) 370)  proposed making the tax system more consistent by bringing in a single tax on commercial road transport fuel by 2003 to complete the internal market. In its mid-term review of the European Commission's 2001 Transport White Paper (COM(2006) 314), the Commission noted that it "will examine how excessive differences in fuel tax levels can be narrowed".

Against this backdrop, the European Commission has now launched an online consultation to obtain views from the public and business on reforming excise duty for commercial diesel.

The consultation is based on a paper (see below) which gives information on the current fiscal situation and the changes which could be considered in order to narrow excessive differences in commercial diesel tax levels. The paper is mainly of interest to stakeholders in the haulage industry, the car industry, the petroleum industry the sector of motorway services companies and the railway sector. The purpose of consulting the public on this issue is to provide input for the discussion, gather relevant feedback and assist the Commission departments in developing their policy on the subject.

The consultation is based on the document "Consultation Paper on narrowing excessive differences in commercial diesel tax levels". This paper does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission; nor does it mean that the Commission is committed to any official initiative in this area.

consultation_taxation_commercial_diesel.pdf (28 KB)

Comments are invited by 30 September 2006. Submissions may be made in writing or by e-mail, in English, French or German, for the attention of
Mrs Gaëlle Michelier
European Commission
Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union
Indirect taxation and tax administration
Office: Rue Montoyer 59, office 4/48
B-1049 Brussels
E-mail: taxud-d2@ec.europa.eu

A report summarising the outcome of the consultation will be published on the Commission's TAXUD website. Please indicate whether for confidentiality reasons you do not wish to disclose the fact that a contribution has been submitted on your behalf.

Update: FIA response to the public consultation of the European Commission on narrowing excessive differences in the tax levels applicable to commercial diesel (September 2006)