The EU must tackle the environmental costs of air traffic. One of the options is the introduction of a European air passenger tax, said French minister Bruno Le Maire in Helsinki after a meeting of EU finance ministers. They spoke there for the first time about financing the transition to a green economy.
The Netherlands has been calling for the introduction of a joint flight tax for some time. If there is no European agreement before 2021, the government wants to introduce a Dutch tax, as agreed in the coalition agreement. Six EU countries already have a flight tax: France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Austria and Great Britain. This concerns charges on the tickets.
According to EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, there is an urgent need for a classification system for green investments.
“Investors need to know that they really invest their money sustainably.”
The climate should, in his view, become a central theme at the meetings and decisions of the European finance ministers.
