The prime ministers of European Union members Sweden and Finland said on Tuesday a proposal that the EU may levy an air travel tax to raise funds for aid to poor countries was not a good idea. EU ministers are to discuss the issue in Luxembourg on May 13-14. Germany and France have voiced support for a jet fuel tax. "I can sympathise with the thought of finding a way to transfer money to poor countries but I don't think that this (an air travel tax) is a practical step and I don't think it would work," Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson said.
Speaking at a news conference after talks with his Finnish colleague Matti Vanhanen on bilateral industry-related issues, Persson added that he was opposed in principle to giving the EU any say over taxation.
Sweden is one of few EU member states to live up to the United Nations 0.7 percent of GDP foreign aid target.
Comments
Comments are closed.