Follow-up in response to changes to the VAT Directive as regards rates of VAT applied to books, newspapers and periodicals

9.5.2017

Question for written answer E-003207-17
to the Commission
Rule 130
Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (PPE)

Discussions are currently under way on a Commission proposal for a Council directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards rates of VAT applied to books, newspapers and periodicals. The changes would enable Member States to apply the same rate of VAT to e-publications as they apply to printed publications. With that in mind, I should like to know when the document is expected to be adopted in the Council, and what follow-up plans there are to review the policy.

What monitoring will be carried out to ensure that the amended VAT directive is being correctly applied?

Are there plans to introduce specialised tools, e.g. online tools, to gather up-to-date, substantiated data relating to the rates of VAT that are applied in individual Member States in the wake of the changes to the legislation?