Not question nor to question the price of 17 euros

The franco-français debate on carbon tax might spread quickly to Europe. Of course, the obligation, in tax matters, to obtain the unanimous agreement of all countries makes it difficult to the creation of such a measure at European level. But behind the scenes, the Commission is preparing for months a project of taking account of CO2 emissions in the taxation of energy products and electricity at the European level. A kind of "carbon tax" to the European, which would see the day at the revision of a directive of 2003, establishing minimum excise rates for taxing energy products. In this project that got "Les echos", the objective would be to introduce two components: the energy efficiency (euros per Gigajoule) function, the other function of the CO2 induced and calculated in euros per kilogram of CO2 emitted. Member States should respect these two new rates floors and regardless of the nature of the product (fuel, fuel, electricity).

The project sleep in cartons of the Commission for more than a year. Originally for April 1, 2009, announced it had to be postponed under pressure from the Germany when the France obtained the decrease in VAT on restoration, but was never abandoned. It the object of several working meetings with experts from the Member States in the second half, before being released at the order of the day by the future European Commissioner for taxation, Algirdas Semeta, at its hearing of 12 January by MEPs. "Directive on the taxation of energy is one of my first priorities," he said, without however specifying calendar.

To correct aberrations

Brussels seeks to give a strong signal to the consumer to consume goods that pollute less, without lowering the tax revenue of the Member States for as much. The Commission wants to correct the aberrations of the current directive: today, coal is taxed less than gas, while CO2 emission levels are higher for the first than the second. And diesel is less heavily encumbered than gasoline, although the two fuels pollute as much one than the other. Defenders of the environment will be very attentive to the idea that the future reform of the taxation of energy can introduce a price increase in time, only means in their eyes to permanently change the behaviour of consumers and convince them to prepare for a rise in the price of oil. For the moment, the European project provides a progressive step-by-step until 2018.

The notion that the future European Commission could see a good look at a revision of the directive makes salivate Jean-Louis Borloo, who has difficulties to get its carbon tax project. The Minister of ecology must today submit to the Council of Ministers a communication on this subject and clarify the way in which the Government intends to lead consultation after the rejection of the Constitutional Council. The message is simple: no question of touch devices to individuals, farmers or fishermen. Not question nor to question the price of 17 euros. The negotiations will be concentrated only on the so-called sectors "ETS", the name of the European market for CO2 emissions to which 1.018 French industrial sites are submitted, and who should pay tax according to the Constitutional Council.

Two solutions for the industry

For these companies, the Ministry of ecology abandoned his project to offset this tax by payroll cuts, fearing that they be recharacterized as State aid by Brussels. Still two solutions. The first would be to compensate expenses related to the CO2 tax as a tax credit. A credit that would be granted in investments to reduce emissions of CO2, in the field of energy, and why not if the industrial helps reduce the level of risk industry. Another idea under consideration would be to create a kind of bonus in the computation of compensation, from the average energy performance in each industrial sector. The most effective business would receive more compensation.