07-12-2009, 09:27 PM
Regardless of who did the hacking, the emails are admittedly true, and the admitted purpose appears to be to create a long-term tax to fund the European Union Parliament.
http://www.examiner.com/x-11224-Baltimor...he-Decline
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/...mmary.html
Fri, 02 Oct 2009
Gothenburg,Sweden - European Union officials meeting in Sweden Friday broached the idea of a carbon tax to reduce the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions as a way of showing the world that it is serious about fighting climate change. "There is not a single EU member state that would question the idea that climate change is a threatening global challenge (...) in which the EU should play a leading role," Laszlo Kovacs, the EU's tax commissioner, told the bloc's finance ministers.
And since the EU's existing emission trading scheme covers less than half of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the European Commission and member states are eyeing another cost-effective and market-based instrument.
"That instrument could be CO2 taxation," Kovacs said.
The idea is to broaden the scope of the EU's existing energy taxation directive, which sets minimum tax levels on petrol, electricity and other energy products in all of the EU's 27 member states.
Minimum rates would be raised and a greater range of products would be included, with additional proceeds used "to compensate low- income households and build trust with the developing world by putting money on the table," Kovacs said.
The idea had been floating for some time in Brussels, but was discussed for the first time by EU finance ministers at their informal meeting in Gothenburg.
Kovacs stressed that a formal proposal would not be presented before next year and acknowledged that the issue remained tricky, since all tax-related matters require unanimity from national governments.
"This was a first attempt to discuss CO2 taxation. There were not many reactions, but those that I heard were all positive," Kovacs.
"There's a long way to go before we can reach an agreement," he added.
The meeting's host, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg, said his country's decision to introduce such a carbon tax back in the 1990s had proved "very successful", noting that people are generally less reluctant to pay if the purpose of the tax is clear.
Germany approved a similar tax in 1999.
The discussion on a carbon tax emerged during a debate on how to finance the global fight against climate change. The commission has estimated that the developed world will have to finance poorer countries to the tune of 100 billion euros (145 billion dollars) per year by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change. And the EU's executive believes part of this sum - up to 15 billion euros - should come from European taxpayers.
But the EU's most polluting and less well-off countries are unhappy with the idea that the bill should be divided according to emission levels and relative wealth.
"From our point of view, it is totally unacceptable that the poor countries of Europe should help the rich countries of Europe to help pay the poor countries of the rest of the world," said Polish Finance Minister Jan Rostowski ahead of the meeting.
Poland gets more than 90 per cent of its electricity from polluting and ageing coal plants. And its government argues that only ability to pay, not pollution levels, should be taken into account - a view shared by many former communist nations from Central and Eastern Europe.
Borg later said that "constructive talks" in Gothenburg had led to a good degree of "convergence", but declined to elaborate, saying only that pollution levels and ability to pay remained valid criteria.
"There will have to be more negotiations. We will need to find a compromise that satisfies everyone," Borg said.
His Polish colleague sounded upbeat after the talks, saying Poland's views were now "much better understood."
The discussion will be picked up at the next meeting of EU finance minister, on October 19, and at an EU summit of heads of state and government at the end of the month.
Copyright DPA
http://www.examiner.com/x-11224-Baltimor...he-Decline
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/...mmary.html
Fri, 02 Oct 2009
Gothenburg,Sweden - European Union officials meeting in Sweden Friday broached the idea of a carbon tax to reduce the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions as a way of showing the world that it is serious about fighting climate change. "There is not a single EU member state that would question the idea that climate change is a threatening global challenge (...) in which the EU should play a leading role," Laszlo Kovacs, the EU's tax commissioner, told the bloc's finance ministers.
And since the EU's existing emission trading scheme covers less than half of its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the European Commission and member states are eyeing another cost-effective and market-based instrument.
"That instrument could be CO2 taxation," Kovacs said.
The idea is to broaden the scope of the EU's existing energy taxation directive, which sets minimum tax levels on petrol, electricity and other energy products in all of the EU's 27 member states.
Minimum rates would be raised and a greater range of products would be included, with additional proceeds used "to compensate low- income households and build trust with the developing world by putting money on the table," Kovacs said.
The idea had been floating for some time in Brussels, but was discussed for the first time by EU finance ministers at their informal meeting in Gothenburg.
Kovacs stressed that a formal proposal would not be presented before next year and acknowledged that the issue remained tricky, since all tax-related matters require unanimity from national governments.
"This was a first attempt to discuss CO2 taxation. There were not many reactions, but those that I heard were all positive," Kovacs.
"There's a long way to go before we can reach an agreement," he added.
The meeting's host, Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg, said his country's decision to introduce such a carbon tax back in the 1990s had proved "very successful", noting that people are generally less reluctant to pay if the purpose of the tax is clear.
Germany approved a similar tax in 1999.
The discussion on a carbon tax emerged during a debate on how to finance the global fight against climate change. The commission has estimated that the developed world will have to finance poorer countries to the tune of 100 billion euros (145 billion dollars) per year by 2020 to help them adapt to climate change. And the EU's executive believes part of this sum - up to 15 billion euros - should come from European taxpayers.
But the EU's most polluting and less well-off countries are unhappy with the idea that the bill should be divided according to emission levels and relative wealth.
"From our point of view, it is totally unacceptable that the poor countries of Europe should help the rich countries of Europe to help pay the poor countries of the rest of the world," said Polish Finance Minister Jan Rostowski ahead of the meeting.
Poland gets more than 90 per cent of its electricity from polluting and ageing coal plants. And its government argues that only ability to pay, not pollution levels, should be taken into account - a view shared by many former communist nations from Central and Eastern Europe.
Borg later said that "constructive talks" in Gothenburg had led to a good degree of "convergence", but declined to elaborate, saying only that pollution levels and ability to pay remained valid criteria.
"There will have to be more negotiations. We will need to find a compromise that satisfies everyone," Borg said.
His Polish colleague sounded upbeat after the talks, saying Poland's views were now "much better understood."
The discussion will be picked up at the next meeting of EU finance minister, on October 19, and at an EU summit of heads of state and government at the end of the month.
Copyright DPA
"History records that the Money Changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and its issuance." --James Madison