European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

So Long, EU Carbon Tariffs

by nanne
Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 09:59:10 AM EST

And we'll see you in 2015, European carbon tax.

Today, the German coalition agreement (pdf) has been published today, and Euroblogger Julien Frisch has been combing it to find salient EU-related content. Among that:

Wo immer möglich, wollen wir marktbasierte Instrumente wie den Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) nutzen. Auf EU-Ebene werden wir uns gegen die Einführung von Klimazöllen und CO2-Abgaben einsetzen.

We want to use market based instruments like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) wherever possible. At the EU level, we will oppose the introduction of climate tariffs and CO2 taxation.

This is an FDP-inspired paragraph. In September Merkel had co-authored a letter to the UN with Sarkozy, calling for carbon tariffs. Though the Commission and the more trade-oriented countries didn't want any of it, a Franco-German agreement could've pushed a 'border tax adjustment' through.

The European Commission had recently been laying the groundwork for yet another run at a carbon tax (following failed efforts in the early 1990s). This was always a far-fetched idea given that taxes can be vetoed by any single country. With Germany opposed, though, even so-called 'enhanced cooperation' on a carbon tax is out of the question.

Elections have consequences.

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So Long, EU Carbon Tariffs | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Oettinger to Brussels (none / 1)

Germany is going to nominate Günther Oettinger to the Commission, hoping to get Internal Market or Competition. He's a Merkel ally and MP of Baden-Württemberg. Kosmopolit has a profile.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 10:10:34 AM EST

Re: Oettinger to Brussels (none / 0)

Sigh... and sigh.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 10:16:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Oettinger to Brussels (none / 0)

They say Stefan Mappus is to inherit Oettinger as Baden-Württenberg state PM. I said two and a half years ago, in a diary on an Oettinger scandal...

European Tribune - Whitewashing History (or: Judging a Judge)

watch out for the name Mappus in the coming years.

Sigh.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 04:04:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

What's the rationale for the decision? (none / 1)

Free trade trumps the fight against global warming?

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 10:12:22 AM EST

The FPD (none / 0)

Only wants policy measures against global warming that perform well in an equilibrium model with regard to their societal efficiency.

(on the upside, the domestic measures are pretty much what we've expected since election day, the proposed changes to the feed in tariff system may on balance even be positive, at least until 2012 when they want to renew the law)

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 10:19:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The FPD (none / 0)

What do you know about the new enviromnent minister? (The one big unknown for me on the ministerial list)

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 10:37:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Nothing (none / 1)

Seems to be another Merkel loyalist. Not incompetent, but with no tangible experience on environmental matters.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 11:03:22 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Nothing (none / 1)

...and, I find, he was to get a job at the BDI [the German Industrialists' Association]... but then chose to remain party politician. That is not a good sign...

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 04:00:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Why? (4.00 / 2)

That he wanted to go to the BDI would be a bad sign. That he didn't want to give up his mandate in the Bundestag shows some lack of care for conflict of interest and an exaggerated faith in his own integrity (or just plain corruption).

However, that he preferred to stay a politician when it became clear that he couldn't do both functions shows that he cares more about his political career than the interests of German industrialists. Which, unless I'm mistaken about the progressive nature of the BDI, is a positive sign.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Oct 25th, 2009 at 05:15:32 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Why? (none / 0)

That he wanted to go to the BDI would be a bad sign.

Sorry, that's what I meant -- bad sentence structure.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Sun Oct 25th, 2009 at 08:21:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: What's the rationale for the decision? (none / 1)

They want carbon trading, not carbon taxes.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 10:57:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

The context (4.00 / 3)

Is, as said, the renewed EU effort to institute a carbon tax. This tax would be for the sectors not covered by emissions trading, as far as the Commission's plans go. Without an EU-wide carbon tax, these sectors will continue not to be covered by an EU-wide pricing mechanism.

In Germany, there are eco taxes, instituted by the red-green government back in the day, and Germany would likely benefit from tax harmonisation at the European level. It's safe to assume that this is a point of principle: further tax harmonisation at the EU level is not desired. Further independent sources of revenue for the EU are not desired.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 11:10:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: The context (none / 0)

further tax harmonisation at the EU level is not desired. Further independent sources of revenue for the EU are not desired

You get what you vote for.

En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Sat Oct 24th, 2009 at 11:12:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

So Long, EU Carbon Tariffs | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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