EU wants members to drop veto over possible carbon tax
by The Associated Press
Approval of energy tax decisions instead would need a qualified majority, or 16 of the current 28 countries representing at least 65 per cent of the EU's population
BERLIN—The European Union’s executive branch is proposing that individual member countries drop their right to veto decisions on energy taxes, a move that could facilitate the introduction of a carbon tax across the whole bloc.
The EU’s energy commissioner, Miguel Arias Canete, said Tuesday that no longer requiring unanimous votes would allow “the potential of energy taxation to foster the clean energy transition can be freed.”
Approval of energy tax decisions instead would need a qualified majority, or 16 of the current 28 countries representing at least 65 per cent of the EU’s population.
Scientists and economists say carbon pricing could become a key tool to reduce emissions from fossil fuels, but warn it needs to be applied in a way that doesn’t disadvantage some countries or sections of the population.
