Commercial Diesel Taxation

The EU Commission will make a new proposal on commercial diesel in order to reduce the distortion of competition in the haulage sector caused by fuel price differences. This distortion in competition results from the fact that diesel tax rates differ greatly from one Member State to another. At the same time, big lorries have very large tank capacity, allowing them to cover between 1,500 and 3,000 kilometres without refuelling. They can therefore take advantage of the very significant differences in national excise duties on diesel fuel (the so-called tank tourism phenomenon). The road transport sector is now fully opened up to competition. However, excessive differences in fuel tax levels are increasingly an obstacle to the smooth functioning of the internal market. To illustrate this proposal the Audiovisual Service has prepared an info-clip which includes footage illustrating the following: - Lorries and diesel prices in a Texaco filling station, Grand-Bigard, Belgium; - Lorries and diesel prices in an Auto Gaz filling station, The Netherlands; - Lorries and diesel prices in a Shell filling station, Berchem, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; - Lorry drivers paying at the cash desk in the filling station, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

European Commission | February 21, 2007

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