Press Release: Excise duties on gas oil: The European Commission proposes to fight “tank tourism” and reduce environmental damage

The proposal is based on the fact that existing tax differentials on diesel used by trucks ("commercial gas oil") create distortions of competition within the liberalised Internal Market of the haulage sector. In addition, they lead to "fuel tourism", where truck drivers alter their routes in order to benefit from low tax rates applied in certain Member States, thereby having a negative impact on the environment. In consequence, the Commission’s proposal aims at narrowing these differentials while reducing environmental damages.

European Commission: DG Communication: MEMO/07/99 http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/07/99&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=fr

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