The European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre Moscovici argued that there was ‘room for negotiations’ on the special consumption tax on tsipouro and tsikoudia, in response to a question posed by the VP of European Parliament and SYRIZA MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis.
According to Mr. Moscovici, the European Commission will review the situation and examine the possibility of reducing the tax rate and other provisions related to private production for personal use. Furthermore, he estimated that the European Commission will debate the case and publish its findings by the end of the first quarter of 2016.
Mr. Papadimoulis has argued that both tsipouro and tsikoudia are traditional, national products and as such require the necessary protection. Additionally, Mr. Papadimoulis noted that alliances with other countries facing similar problems with traditional products must be formed, in order to protect the rights of small producers and personal consumption.
