European Citizens’ Initiative on taxation of greenhouse gas emissions

The European Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Save the Planet by shifting taxation from labour to greenhouse gas emissions’.

The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to strengthen the Fit for 55 Package and the EU carbon pricing system by setting a faster phase-out of free allowances and allowing an uncapped carbon price to achieve emission reduction goals. They also call for the redistribution of a substantial part of carbon pricing revenues to low-income households, strengthening the EU’s Social Climate Fund and promoting the establishment of a ‘Climate Club’ where participant countries adopt robust carbon pricing, with due consideration to redistributing carbon pricing revenues to low-income households.

The decision to register is of a legal nature and it does not prejudge the final legal and political conclusions of the Commission on this initiative and the action it would take, if any, in case the initiative obtains the necessary support.

As the European Citizens’ Initiative fulfils the formal conditions established in the relevant legislation, the Commission considers that it is legally admissible. The Commission has not analysed the substance of the proposals at this stage.

Next Steps

Following this registration, the organisers have six months to open the signature collection. If a European Citizens’ Initiative receives one million statements of support within one year with minimum numbers reached in at least seven different Member States, the Commission will have to react. The Commission will have to decide whether or not it will take action in response to the request, and will be required to explain its reasoning.

Background

The European Citizens’ Initiative was introduced with the Lisbon Treaty as an agenda-setting tool in the hands of citizens. It was officially launched in April 2012. Once formally registered, a European Citizens’ Initiative allows one million citizens from at least seven EU Member States to invite the European Commission to propose legal acts in areas where it has the power to act. The conditions for admissibility are: (1) the proposed action does not manifestly fall outside the framework of the Commission’s powers to submit a proposal for a legal act, (2) it is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and (3) it is not manifestly contrary to the values of the Union.

Since the beginning of the European Citizens’ Initiative, the Commission has registered 112 initiatives.

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More information: European Commission