Fiscal issues: Energy Taxation Directive


The Italian Presidency still aims to find a political agreement on the Energy Taxation Directive under its Presidency. This will however be challenging as several Ministers raised their objection to the current Presidency compromise proposal on the Energy Taxation Directive during the ECOFIN in October. The new European Commission has also stated it might redraw its proposal on the review of the Energy Taxation Directive if no progress can be achieved within the Council.


Up till now EU Member States have only found an agreement on the separation rate structure and the proportionality principle. Among EU Member States there is still a large disagreement on mainly aspects of the Directive including on levels of minimum tax rates, tax treatment of biofuels, bio liquids, commercial gasoil and energy products used for agriculture, transitional periods and tax reliefs below the minimum levels.


Concerning the inclusion of lubes under EMCS, the EU Member States are also divided about this topic but progress on this topic can only be reached when EU Member States can find an agreement on the minim tax rates (lubes under EMCS is used as a bargain chip). In the Presidency Progress Report lubes is still included under EMCS.


UEIL will continue its outreach activities in the coming months to underline its concern to include lubes under EMCS and to emphasize that other more effective actions can be undertaken to address the concern on fraud. In addition UEIL formalised in close cooperation with Europia a realistic compromise solution for the EU Members as a fall-back position.


TECHNICAL AND COMPETITION COMMITTEES


The Technical Committee and the Competition Committee have issued 2 OEM Bulletins since the last Lube issue: • John Deere Forestry Oy


• Polaris Lubricants


October 2014 December 2014


UEIL ANNUAL CONGRESS 2015


Don’t forget to mark your calendars for 21-23 October 2015! The UEIL Annual Congress will take place in Malta. In case you would like to present at the event, submit your proposal to info@ueil.org by 24 April COB!


Continued from page 3 UEIL President’s Report


could have on waste oils and the re-refined basestocks market in Europe - where the shortage of raw material, its high price and the current base oil situation make re-refining more and more difficult, particularly in countries where some questionable burning and fuel production practices are still adopted.


On a final note, we all know that the current situation of the lubricants’ market is somewhat depressed, with the crude and base oils prices down. I call on all of you to consider the future of our industry. We need probably to focus on biolubricants and other so called ‘unconventional lubricants’ with some specific properties in order to evaluate the evolution of the market and how the lubricants market is going to change in the future. We must reflect on the coming years.


Platforms like international events are a good setting for this discussion to take place (remember Ray Hammond, in Madrid). Don’t forget then to mark your calendars for the UEIL 2015 Annual Congress (21-23 October) in Malta! Even before that (April 14-15), I hope to see you at the UNITI Congress in Stuttgart (Germany).


Sincerely yours,


Fabio Dalla Giovanna UEIL President


For any questions regarding the above, do not hesitate to contact us at info@ueil.org


The current cases, which have been raised by the membership, are:


• Off Road Equipment • Passenger Cars • Motor Cycles


3 cases 2 cases 1 case


Increasingly many members are experiencing lengthy delays when applying to various OEMs for Formal Approvals for their products. This matter has been raised with ATIEL who have been requested by UEIL to consider raising it with ACEA.


The next meeting is scheduled to be held in Brussels in May 2015.


LINK www.ueil.org


The Azure Window on the Maltese Island of Gozo. Photography by Suzy Jarman


LUBE MAGAZINE NO.125 FEBRUARY 2015


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