Loading ...The European Commission officially responded to the Romanian government’s decision to introduce a one year exemption from the car tax for Euro 4 cars below the capacity of 2000 cubic centimeters, but noted a “technical problem”.
“The EC formulated its views based on a draft government decree that set forth a temporary exemption from the pollution tax on motor vehicles registered anywhere in the EU during the period of Dec 15, 2008 to Dec 31, 2009 provided they meet objective criteria, namely they comply with Euro 4 pollution norms and their cylinder capacity does not exceed 2,000 cubic centimeters.
It has to be noted that tax differentiation is compatible with EU law when it is based on objective criteria”, explained EC official sources, adding that because it would seem that cars brought during the same period from other member states into Romania that meet the set standard also benefit from the exemption it does not ensue that the exemption breaches Article 90 of the EC Treaty.
Nevertheless, the Community executive drew the Romanian Government’s attention upon a “technical problem”, namely that used cars, which were registered anywhere in the EU during the set period and which meet the two criteria set above (Euro 4 and up to 2000 cubic centimeters), should be granted the same exemption when brought into Romania after the period of exemption.
The commission did not officially inform Bucharest about its stand on the Romanian Govt decision of December 4 to triple the pollution tax value, but in a general commentary, Maria Assimakopoulou, spokeswoman for EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, said on December 5 that “in the field of car taxation there is no harmonization at Community level, meaning that each member state can decide upon the auto tax level. Yet, all the member states must observe some basic principles, such as non-discrimination. The member states cannot decide to boost taxes just for second-hand cars and not for the new ones”.
The government decree, published in the Official Gazette and effective as of Monday, triples the tax level for all motor vehicles with up to Euro 4 engines and temporarily exempts vehicles whose cylinder capacity is less than 2,000 cubic centimeters and which are registered for the first time in Romania or other EU member states.
According to the normative act, the tax on an Euro 4 second-hand car, with capacity of 1,400 cubic centimeters, climbs to 840 euros from 180 euros. For an Euro 4 second-hand car with a capacity of 1,600 the tax is up to 1,440 euros from 480 euros. The auto pollution tax for an Euro 4 car with a capacity of 2,000 advances to 2,400 euros compared to 800 euros previously.
For an Euro 3 car, with a capacity of 1,400 the tax increases to 2,730 euros from 910 euros, for a vehicle with a capacity of 1,600 the tax it is up to 4,800 euros from 1,600 euros and for one with a capacity of 2,000 the tax is set to 7,800 euros from 2,600 euros previously.
According to the normative act, starting December 15, the Euro 4 cars with a capacity below 2,000, newly registered in Romania or anywhere in the EU will be exempted from the tax payment till next year-end.
According to the normative act, starting December 15, the Euro 4 cars with a capacity below 2,000, newly registered in Romania or anywhere in the EU will be exempted from the tax payment till next year-end.
The Government decided through an Emergency Ordinance, approved in its last week meeting, a three-fold increase of the pollution tax for all first registered vehicles in Romania after the Executive decided almost two weeks ago to suspend the auto tax on period of one year for Euro 4 cars whose capacity do not exceed 2,000 cubic centimeters.
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