Santa Cruz de Tenerife (EFE).- The Canary Islands tourism employers FEHT, Ashotel, Asofuer and FTL have demanded this Friday a “clear political action” in Brussels for the total exemption of the archipelago from taxes on kerosene in air transport, also known as the ‘green tax’.
In a statement, they demand a “major” negotiating strategy by the Canary Islands and state governments in the EU decision-making centers with responsibilities in regulatory matters, such as the European Council, the Commission and the European Parliament.
This initiative, the employers add, should be based on the arguments that the Canary Islands have raised regarding environmental taxation for aviation.
Because the archipelago abounds, it requires specific measures in this area, both because of its status as an Outermost Region (OR) and because of the relevance of the tourism sector in the productive fabric of the islands, also based on “efficient connectivity” with its main source markets, the countries of the European continent.
The business associations appreciate that their proposal has been endorsed after participating this week in the meeting organized by the Government of the Canary Islands with the director of Regional Policy responsible for the ORs at the European Commission, Monika Hencsey.
A forum that addressed, among other issues, the future community regulation on the payment of CO2 emission rights.
In this regard, the representatives of the sector agreed with the decarbonisation objectives set out in the EU as a whole, which the Canary Islands address with their own strategies in their energy model.
At the same time, the tourist employers consider that a decision by the European Union “cannot specifically harm” a sensitive territory of the EU itself which, as is the case of the Canary Islands, has air connectivity “a strategic element for its economic model”, due to the weight of its tourism sector and the absence of alternatives to air transport.
Hence, they understand that the exemption already obtained for inter-island and national flights is not enough, as highlighted by the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, during the course of said meeting.
“It is necessary to negotiate to achieve total exemption,” stress the Canary Islands tourist employers.
For this reason, they call for joint action by the Canary Islands administrations, the Spanish Government and the representatives of Spain in the European Parliament, because “the arguments of the Canary Islands are very solid” and “are comparable” with those expressed by some European governments that have urged to reflect on the advisability of banning the sale of combustion vehicles in the EU from 2035.
They believe that in the case of the Canary Islands it is necessary that any implementation of tax measures related to aviation fuel be produced “with sufficient caution” to guarantee the competitiveness of tourism on the islands with respect to other comparable non-EU destinations and that they will not be forced to the application of said fiscal measures.
“For this reason, and as long as the stable supply and affordable prices of the new non-polluting fuels in the aviation sector is not guaranteed, the necessary measure for the Canary Islands is the total exemption in the payment of CO2 emission rights on flights” , they conclude. EFE
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