Lithuanian fuel retailers call on neighbors to join forces in the fight for lower excise taxes and prices, but Latvians think that it would be more practical for all Baltic states to impose restrictions on the amount of fuel in the tanks of trucks entering the countries.
Martins Stirans, head of the Latvian Fuel Traders Association, said that joint action by neighbors would be welcome, but he doubted if this would produce the expected results in bringing down the excise taxes on diesel fuel. The Latvian association raises the idea of imposing restrictions on the amount of fuel brought in in the tanks of cargo transport vehicles.
"Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland are the EU countries that have borders with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. They are the gates between the West and the East. All of them should join together and ask for the existing EU minimum excise rates to be considered," said Lukas Vosylius, president of Lithuanian Association of Oil Product Trade Enterprises.
Lithuania's authorities are planning to raise the excise tax on diesel fuel to 1,140 litas (EUR 330.43) per 1,000 tons starting next January, from the current 1,043 litas.
