Press Release: Customs: infringement proceedings against Italy for imposing Sicilian environmental tax

The European Commission has formally requested Italy to abolish an environmental tax which is levied on natural gas transported from Algeria to Italy or other Member States via Italy in a gas pipeline owned by a private company. The Commission considers that the tax infringes the EU Common Customs Tariff because it runs counter to the principle of equal customs duties on products imported from non-EU countries bordering the Community, the basic principles governing the common commercial policy and the Community's international obligations arising from the Co-operation Agreement with Algeria.