THE European Union has confirmed that it still intends taking our government to court over our current law allowing boaters to use red diesel at reduced taxation.
Though an agreement was reached in 2008 whereby boaters can purchase red diesel for propulsion, paying the required standard rate of tax, and the proportion of the diesel used for heating and lighting to be purchased at a lower rate of tax, the European Commission passed this to the European Court of Justice in July 2014, claiming that we were not properly applying European excise rules.
Taking action
It was on the 1st September 2017 the European Commission announced it was taking action against the United Kingdom in relation to Article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, claiming that the UK has failed to fulfil its obligations under Council Directive 95/60/EC of 27th in regards to the sale of red diesel.
No doubt boaters hope that this will drag on until we leave, and then the EU hopefully has no jurisdiction over our laws...