Impasse Over EU Energy Tax Bill Fuels Business Uncertainty

Failure among EU nations to make progress on its energy tax reform will add uncertainty for companies, an official from Europe’s largest business organization warned.

European business needs a clear business case to invest in clean fuels aided by taxation policies that encourage their uptake, Mariella Caruana, a senior adviser on taxation at BusinessEurope, told an EU FISC public hearing Thursday.

“Europe cannot afford an energy taxation framework that is disconnected from global realities,” said Caruana.

The bill, known as the Energy Taxation Directive, attempts to place higher minimum taxes on fossil fuels and lower rates on renewable energy ...