The EU finds that important independent source of income

The Telegraph reports that:

"The European Union is drawing up plans for its first direct tax with a "green" levy on petrol, coal and natural gas that could cost British consumers up to £3 billion.

Proposals expected to be announced next month would give the EU its first funding which would not come from national governments.

Algirdas Semeta, the new European commissioner for taxation, is planning a "minimum rate of tax on carbon" across the whole EU as a "priority".

"In my estimation it is possible to start discussions," he told European Voice, a weekly Brussels newspaper. "There is currently the right momentum."

A similar proposal was considered so controversial that it was shelved without discussion five years ago.

The plan to push for more financial independence from national governments comes as the EU attempts to build a more powerful position in the world.

...

Herman Van Rompuy, the new EU president, has already thrown his weight behind the idea of new taxes.

The new tax would lead to direct rises in petrol and energy bills and additional price increases due to higher costs for industry.

Open Europe, the think-tank, has calculated, on the basis of the shelved 2005 proposal that set a £9 levy on a tonne of CO2, that the cost of the new tax to British businesses and consumers would be £3.2 billion. The final cost could be even greater if electricity, generated from natural gas, was included in the levy.

Mats Persson, director of Open Europe, warned that "a single EU levy is an unnecessarily inflexible tool" that takes no account of existing national taxes or measures to cut climate change. "

Now if David Cameron wasn't scared of being portrayed as a Euro-sceptic or climate change denier he might make stand on this issue. However as on so many issues I expect David Cameron to remain mute and let more momentum slip away from his election campaign.