Court Upholds Environmental Impact Tax Levied on Passenger Flights in Holland

摘要

A Dutch court of appeals in the Hague July 17 upheld a ruling that maintains a recently levied tax on passenger flight tickets. Airlines, airports, and industry groups have strongly contested the tax, which went into effect July 1 in the Netherlands. "This tax has been introduced to make the airlines aware of the environmental consequences of flying," Marcel Homan, a spokesman for the Dutch Ministry of Finance, told BNA. The tax, passed by the Dutch Parliament in 2007, imposes a E∪D11.25 ($17.82) tax on flight tickets within Europe, and adds E∪D45 ($71) to flights outside the continent. Revenues from the tax are not earmarked, and will be a part of overall government income.