“In the case of natural gas and biomethane used as motor fuel, higher minimum levels of general energy consumption taxation shall apply only after an assessment, to be carried out by the Commission by 2023, of the implementation of the provisions of this Directive relating to the level of taxation applicable to natural gas in road transport. That assessment shall, inter alia, examine the progress in the availability of natural gas and biomethane, the growth of the refilling stations network in Union, the market share of NGVs in the Union, the innovation and technological developments in biomethane used as transport fuel and the real value of the minimum level of taxation,” says one of the amendments of the final vote.
According to the initially proposed alignment of fuel taxation based on CO2 and energy content, the EP recommends that for the energy component of natural gas and biomethane “from 1 January 2023 until 1 January 2030, Member States may apply a reduction of up to 50% of the minimum levels of taxation for these fuels”
NGVA Europe General Manager, Manuel Lage, said: “We do recognize these positive amendments voted in the plenary, but we are now very attentive and look closely to the further debate in the Council, as the EP did not revise the minimum higher levels of taxation for NG/biomethane”.
Source: NGVA Europe, European Parliament
