EXCISE DUTY MINIMUMS
April 1st, 2005
BY KEITH NUTHALLTHE EUROPEAN Commission has been tasked with drafting a politically acceptable increase of the European Union's (EU) minimum excise duty rates, rationalising the system, but not touching wines and sparkling wines. These are currently exempt from the system, and the Council of Ministers for finance (ECOFIN) last week (April 12) concluded there was no majority to include them, with opposition from 12 mostly wine producing countries including France and Italy. This leaves beer, spirits and fortified wines, whose minimum rates have done little to ...
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