A decision against raising the diesel excise tax to the required level would have no precedent in the EU. Brussels has warned that Lithuania would be fined in that case.
“The EU pledged to provide adequate funding for the decommissioning of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in the same treaty, but it does not comply with that. Why don’t we use that as a trump in talks?” a politician, who is a member of one of the parties that have scored victory in recent elections, told the daily on condition of anonymity.
Lithuania intends to hold talks on the diesel excise tax, according to Algirdas Butkevičius who is tipped to become the country’s next prime minister.
From 2013, the diesel excise duty should increase to 1,140 litas (EUR 330.43) per 1,000 liters, from current 1,043 litas. As estimated based on current prices, the price of diesel fuel should grow by 0.12 litas per liter.
Lithuania’s government has asked Brussels to allocate 770 million euros for the decommissioning of INPP, yet the European Commission has so far been speaking about the allocation of around 210 million euros by 2017.
