1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168 
EU countries get OK to cut duty on petrol.
Page 9
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
and diesel
EUROPEAN UNION (EU) heads of government and the European Commission have cleared the way for EU member states to reduce excise duties on fuel as a shortterm measure to fight rising prices.
A communique following last week's EU summit in Brussels told the 27 member states: "Measures can be considered to alleviate the impact of higher oil and gas prices on the poorer sections of the population, hut should remain short-term and targeted."
The communiqué did not specify how member states should act, opening the way for possible direct subsidies to transport firms. Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso told the meeting member states could reduce excise duties on gas and liquid fuels.
One area ruled out in the short term was reducing VAT on fuel, which was opposed by Germany.
Instead, France, which pushed the idea, will work with the EC to "examine the feasibility and imapet of measures to smooth the effects of sudden price increases".