The European Parliament adopted, Wednesday June 22 in Brussels, the project of a carbon tax at the borders, two weeks after having rejected, to the general surprise, a first version of this key text of the climate plan of the European Union. The idea is to apply a carbon price to imports of certain goods from outside the Union, in order to preserve European industries which must respect rules in this area and limit relocation.
On June 8, the deadlock was tied around the calendar: the EPP (right, first force in Parliament) wanted to maintain free quotas in the EU until 2034 (the Commission proposed 2035), postponing the tax at the borders. But environmentalist and left-wing MEPs castigated these proposals. Ultimately, the new version of the text provides for application in 2027 instead of 2025. This vote now opens the way to negotiations between MEPs and Member States.
“This is a world first and a great political victory”, greeted Pascal Canfin, President of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament. For her part, the ecologist MEP Karima Delli was also delighted, specifying however that“Improvements will have to be made”.
The “carbon border tax” which will make imports pay their fair carbon price is voted by Parliament This is a world first and a great political victory.
—Pascal Canfin (@pcanfin) June 22, 2022
Carbon border tax ADOPTED
A tool to maintain the competitiveness of our companies which do not have to pay the cost of carbon alone.
✅ I still vote FOR, even if it will have to be improved!#fitfor55 pic.twitter.com/Vg4lz6ffXc
— Karima Delli (@KarimaDelli) June 22, 2022
The European Parliament also adopted by 439 votes (157 against, 32 abstentions) a compromise providing for the expansion of the carbon market and the gradual abolition between 2027 and 2032 of free emission quotas allocated to companies, as carbon tax at EU borders.
