European Onion plan to tax plane CO2 emmissions
Discussion
It was inevitable.
The Eurogreenies have proposed a climate change levy on aircraft flights. They're saying that its unfair that its unfair that the airline industry escapse the Kyoto treaty and the CO2 trading system.
Because I think its all a load of bollocks and never voted for it (or was even asked) I reckon its a good thing that the airline industry is (or has been up till now) exempt.
Its the only way I can afford cheapy flights to go on holiday and return home from time to time.
Apperently the airlines tentativley accept the proposals, fearing that it heads off the other nightmare scenario, the EU finds a way to tax aiviation fuel....
full article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4287048.stm
Oh and this is bit I really don't like:
[quote=bbc]
The commission rejected other measures advocated by environmental groups such as direct emission charges on airlines, but says it is still working to remove the legal obstacles preventing the taxation of aviation fuel. [/quote]
Oh f**k.
Andy
The Eurogreenies have proposed a climate change levy on aircraft flights. They're saying that its unfair that its unfair that the airline industry escapse the Kyoto treaty and the CO2 trading system.
Because I think its all a load of bollocks and never voted for it (or was even asked) I reckon its a good thing that the airline industry is (or has been up till now) exempt.
Its the only way I can afford cheapy flights to go on holiday and return home from time to time.
Apperently the airlines tentativley accept the proposals, fearing that it heads off the other nightmare scenario, the EU finds a way to tax aiviation fuel....
full article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4287048.stm
Oh and this is bit I really don't like:
[quote=bbc]
The commission rejected other measures advocated by environmental groups such as direct emission charges on airlines, but says it is still working to remove the legal obstacles preventing the taxation of aviation fuel. [/quote]
Oh f**k.
Andy
This whole story of the European Onion is going to end in tears, mark my words! 
More seriously, I agree with this! Why should car drivers be taxed to hell and back and airlines not pay tax on their kerosene? I consider the cost of flights now to be completely artificial and unsustainable - people get flights at airport taxes plus £1 per journey FFS, it's ridiculous!
Tax the buggers, flight prices go up, less unnecessary travel and less unwashed scum in lovely places ruining my holiday. That last bit was gratuitous and selfish, but so what?
More seriously, I agree with this! Why should car drivers be taxed to hell and back and airlines not pay tax on their kerosene? I consider the cost of flights now to be completely artificial and unsustainable - people get flights at airport taxes plus £1 per journey FFS, it's ridiculous!
Tax the buggers, flight prices go up, less unnecessary travel and less unwashed scum in lovely places ruining my holiday. That last bit was gratuitous and selfish, but so what?
voyds9 said:
By the time we have finished paying departure tax,security tax, fuel tax, insurance tax etc then the tax part of the flight is more than the flight itself. Surely paying more in tax than the value of the service has to be fundamentally wrong.
How much of your car expenses are tax?
It cannot be right that car uses get clobbered with such a high rate of tax, while domestic uses of fuel pay a reduced rate of vat and airplanes pay virtually no tax at all!!
This proposal is simply bringing some much needed fairness into measures to combat C02 emissions.
JagLover said:
By the time we have finished paying departure tax,security tax, fuel tax, insurance tax etc then the tax part of the flight is more than the flight itself. Surely paying more in tax than the value of the service has to be fundamentally wrong.
How much of your car expenses are tax?
It cannot be right that car uses get clobbered with such a high rate of tax, while domestic uses of fuel pay a reduced rate of vat and airplanes pay virtually no tax at all!!
This proposal is simply bringing some much needed fairness into measures to combat C02 emissions.
But this is a typical government reaction, cars are paying too much tax so lets raise the tax rate on everything else to match. The tax rate on businesses is lower than that on planes so would they consider raising manufacturing costs by tax CO2 output, with this government anything is possible.
Well I think it would be far fairer to lower taxes on cars.
"end in tears"!....
..... 
ers not get?I'm with JagLover.
Why should Oil be taxed so heavily when you put it in you car and not when it does into your Central Heating or into an Airplane?
If we had one Oil burning tax rate the tax on using your car would plummet, the tax on heating oil rise a bit and the tax on aviation fuel rise markedly.
So: it would be cheaper to use your car, a little more expensive to heat your home (if burning oil) and a LOT more expensive to fly.
Me - I'd be happy with that trade off. I don't need to fly around europe or the world particularly. Those that *do* need or want to will need to pay more - but then again they are the ones doing the "polluting" so if we are adopting a "polluter pays" strategy how is this unfair?
The main problem in introducing an aviation fuel tax is that airlines will simply refuel elsewhere.
So you need a very large area to introduce a consistent tax all at the same time - e.g. the EU.
What concerns me is that they will introduce such a new tax. But will they reduce the duty on automotive fuel at the same time? Will they buggery. Bastards.
Why should Oil be taxed so heavily when you put it in you car and not when it does into your Central Heating or into an Airplane?
If we had one Oil burning tax rate the tax on using your car would plummet, the tax on heating oil rise a bit and the tax on aviation fuel rise markedly.
So: it would be cheaper to use your car, a little more expensive to heat your home (if burning oil) and a LOT more expensive to fly.
Me - I'd be happy with that trade off. I don't need to fly around europe or the world particularly. Those that *do* need or want to will need to pay more - but then again they are the ones doing the "polluting" so if we are adopting a "polluter pays" strategy how is this unfair?
The main problem in introducing an aviation fuel tax is that airlines will simply refuel elsewhere.
So you need a very large area to introduce a consistent tax all at the same time - e.g. the EU.
What concerns me is that they will introduce such a new tax. But will they reduce the duty on automotive fuel at the same time? Will they buggery. Bastards.
Tax on aviation fuel would be unfair unless it was implemented multilaterally across all aviation markets.
To tax aviation fuel in the EU and not elsewhere would be like keeping petrol tax in England, Scotland and NI and removing it from Wales. It would simply creat a completely unlevel playing field.
I'd be quite happy however to see a marked increase in air passenger duty on UK departing flights, say to £50 per ticket and £70 per premium ticket.
To tax aviation fuel in the EU and not elsewhere would be like keeping petrol tax in England, Scotland and NI and removing it from Wales. It would simply creat a completely unlevel playing field.
I'd be quite happy however to see a marked increase in air passenger duty on UK departing flights, say to £50 per ticket and £70 per premium ticket.
oyster said:
To tax aviation fuel in the EU and not elsewhere would be like keeping petrol tax in England, Scotland and NI and removing it from Wales. It would simply creat a completely unlevel playing field.
Quite! I wonder if airlines will just nip across to Africa to fill up?
Far fetched? Motorists in Britain go to France for the same purpose.JagLover said:
By the time we have finished paying departure tax,security tax, fuel tax, insurance tax etc then the tax part of the flight is more than the flight itself. Surely paying more in tax than the value of the service has to be fundamentally wrong.
How much of your car expenses are tax?
It cannot be right that car uses get clobbered with such a high rate of tax, while domestic uses of fuel pay a reduced rate of vat and airplanes pay virtually no tax at all!!
This proposal is simply bringing some much needed fairness into measures to combat C02 emissions.
Ah, but first I'd have to agree to taxing anyone simply on their CO2 emmissions. Which I don't.
Plus you think its OK to tax the aviation industry out of the sky. After all this can go one of two ways. Either this is just another large revenue generation scheme, or the European Union genuinely want to reduce the amount of CO2 put out by planes. The only way to achieve the latter is simply to tax poor people out of the skies.
Simple and effective.
Less poeple flying less often = less planes and less CO2.
Oh, but I forgot that would cause a global slowdown in an industry that employs thousands of people both here and in Europe.
Plus less planes = less aircraft manufacturing as airlines have no demand for extra planes and can absorb surplus aircraft from those airlines that can't turn a profit anymore.
I don't know what folk have against flying. I for one think that the low cost of flying is one of the few true luxuries left to us.
And as for fuel tax on vehicle fuel, there is no point on wishing it on other industries (heating oil, or aviation fuel) simply because you feel its a bit unfair for the motorist to get lumped with it all.
The point is NOT that motorists get taxed out of proportion because of some environmental need, or because of fairness, its simply political.
In my view, neither vehicle fuel or aviation fuel should be so heavily taxed. I don't agree with it and I never voted for it. Its simply something that has been imposed on me.
Andy
andytk said:
Plus you think its OK to tax the aviation industry out of the sky. After all this can go one of two ways. Either this is just another large revenue generation scheme, or the European Union genuinely want to reduce the amount of CO2 put out by planes. The only way to achieve the latter is simply to tax poor people out of the skies.
Simple and effective.
Less poeple flying less often = less planes and less CO2.
Or perhaps merely constrain the forecast rise in flights that is predicted.
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