Berlin announced on Sunday that it would plead for the introduction, at European level, of a compulsory contribution from energy companies.
In the midst of a debate on the taxation of “superprofitsof companies linked to the war in Ukraine, the French Ministry of the Economy stressed on Sunday September 4 that the “contributionof the energy companies that Germany has promised to support at European level was “absolutely not” a tax. “The German government has absolutely not announced a tax on the superprofits of energy companies“Insisted Bercy in a message sent to journalists a few hours after Berlin’s announcement of its support for a mandatory contribution from energy companies, the terms of which would be set at European level.
“Germany introduces mandatory contribution from companies that benefit from gas prices while generating electricity from coal, nuclear or renewables“, we advance in Paris. “This is exactly what France is doing with renewable energies or in another way with (the energy company) EDF by increasing the volume of Arenh (regulated access to historical nuclear electricity, Ed)”, indicates Bercy.
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“The mechanisms are not necessarily the same, but the logic is (…) It has nothing to do with taxation“, tried to clear the ministry, while calls to tax the exceptional profits of large companies like TotalEnergies or CMA CGM have multiplied since this summer in France.
Terminal does not “close the door”
The reaction of Bercy comes a few hours after the presentation by Germany of a plan of 65 billion euros intended to mitigate the effects of inflation. The rise in prices in Germany reached 7.9% year on year in August, fueled by energy prices which have soared since Russia, an essential supplier for Berlin, reduced gas flows to Germany. ‘Europe.
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In this context, the German government announced on Sunday morning that it would plead for the introduction, at European level, of a compulsory contribution to be paid by companies in the energy sector. The measure does not fallno tax law“, hammered the Minister of Finance, the Liberal Christian Lindner.
If the European discussions do not succeed – the Member States are to meet next week around energy issues – Berlin says it is ready to go it alone by adopting a measure at national level. Coming from the left, the idea of taxing the superprofits of multinationals is firmly opposed by the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire, while the Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne does not “don’t close the door” last resort.