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Europêche Urges Preservation of Fuel Tax Exemption for EU Fishing Sector
In correspondence with EU lawmakers, Europêche contends that historically, fuel supplied for navigation, fishing, and aviation has enjoyed exemption from taxation to maintain parity on the global stage. The trade group argues that revoking the fishing industry's exemption would unfairly advantage foreign competitors, particularly in countries like China.
Highlighting a multitude of challenges faced by EU fishing fleets, Europêche emphasizes the detrimental impact of taxation amidst issues like Brexit fallout, energy crises, pandemics, and regulatory constraints. The group warns that such measures could exacerbate the EU's reliance on imported seafood, posing a threat to domestic supply.
Fuel costs constitute a significant portion of fishing companies' expenses, accounting for 40 percent according to Europêche. Despite this, the EU fishing fleet has already surpassed greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set by the European Green Deal, achieving a 52 percent decline from 1990 to 2021.
However, environmental organization Oceana advocates for the removal of outdated tax exemptions to encourage the transition to greener energy sources across all economic sectors. Oceana stresses that the Energy Taxation Directive presents an opportunity to harmonize taxation rates and promote sustainability.
According to Oceana, current exemptions disproportionately benefit highly destructive fishing practices, such as industrial bottom-trawling. Removing these exemptions, the organization argues, would incentivize EU countries to adopt low-carbon and low-impact fishing methods, contributing to efforts to combat climate change and preserve biodiversity.
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