Michel Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator, candidate for the right-wing primary for the 2022 presidential election, says he is in favor of the introduction of a carbon tax at the borders of the European Union, in a column in the
Journal du Dimanche
.
Read also Michel Barnier: "
I want to be a president who respects the French and makes France respect
"
“
A carbon tax at the Union's borders is absolutely essential, not only for financial reasons, but because it will restore fair competition between Europe, which now heavily taxes carbon, and trading partners who do not do not tax it, or very little,
”believes the former minister of Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.
The European Commission proposed in July to tax kerosene for flights within the EU from 2023, while imposing a minimum rate of biofuels on them.
What alarm the companies, which fear a "
distortion of competition
" with the rest of the world.
If carbon taxation in Europe is "
a great satisfaction for ecology
", it also poses "
a major problem
", underlines Michel Barnier: "
it becomes very expensive to produce
" on the Old Continent, which could suffer "
a wave of relocations
”.
"
Restore fairness
"
"
Only a carbon tax at the borders of the Union, immediately applicable to all imported products according to their carbon footprint, can restore fairness in global competition and reward our efforts for the climate
", further believes the former European commissioner. The carbon adjustment mechanism at the borders proposed by Brussels this summer "
however, comes up against the reluctance of several States
", he deplores, saying he wants to carry out "
this fight for the border tax without delay
".
During a debate at the Fête de l'Humanité this Saturday, her competitor Valérie Pécresse (Libres, ex-LR) also positioned herself for "
a real carbon tax
" at the borders of Europe "
which would restore the 'equal competitiveness
' between countries.