Potential non-tariff barriers in food taxation

21.3.2016

Question for written answer E-002360-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Daniel Dalton (ECR)

Member States are increasingly introducing discriminatory taxation on food ingredients and products, either through a specific levy on a product, or through higher levels of value added tax.

These appear to be designed to benefit locally produced products over imported products. One example would be higher taxation levels on wines with higher ABV (alcohol by volume), which would appear to benefit the mostly lower ABV wines grown in that Member State.

Additional examples are the proposed tax on palm oil in France and sugar taxes proposed by various countries.

Has the Commission examined whether potentially discriminatory non-tariff barriers are being created, both within the single market and in external trade relations with third countries, through discriminatory taxation levels on food products and ingredients?