Press publishers welcome the unanimous adoption by EU Finance Ministers of the proposal on VAT rates
Press publishers welcome the unanimous adoption by EU Finance Ministers of the proposal on VAT rates (Foto: iStock/TheaDesign)
The European Magazine Media Association (EMMA) and the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association (ENPA) welcome today’s unanimous adoption of the Proposal for a Council Directive amending Directive 2006/112/EC as regards rates of Value Added Tax (VAT).
Today, only some Member States benefit from a special derogation and apply super-reduced or zero VAT rates to newspapers and magazines because of the essential value they provide to citizens for media pluralism and democratic participation.
The adopted proposal addresses the current inequality extending the possibility to apply super-reduced or zero VAT rates to all Member States.
“The vote is an essential step towards guaranteeing media pluralism and establishing a basis for freedom of opinion and democracy. It underlines press freedom as one of the fundamental values of our European democratic societies and will have a critical impact on the press’ sustainability”, says Jean-Pierre de Kerraoul, ENPA President.
“We call on all Member States to swiftly introduce super-reduced rates or zero rates to help press publishers to continue their high investment in diverse and quality content that contributes to informed opinions and greater participation in a democratic debate” says Xavier Bouckaert, EMMA President.
