Akkoord over solidariteitsbelasting op vliegtickets ten behoeve van Derde Wereld (en)

EUOBSERVER / LUXEMBOURG - EU finance ministers on Saturday (14 May) agreed to a voluntary tax on airline tickets as a way of bringing extra money to the world's poor countries - but the non-compulsory nature of the deal lets countries against the levy off the hook.

"This will be a voluntary contribution which some member states propose to turn into a mandatory contribution, but we are leaving this open", said Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker, who heads the finance ministers group.

A formal EU-wide tax on tickets proved too controversial to find consensus and the resulting agreement leaves it up to member states.

A document prepared for the meeting estimated that a tax of ten euro within the EU and 30 euros on flights to destinations outside the bloc would generate some six billion euro per year.

However, both countries against any form of EU tax and countries highly-dependent on tourism were firmly opposed to the idea.

Ireland's Brian Cowen said "There was some suggestion of a ten euro departure tax - that would be 20 euro two ways. If you look at some of the low cost access to Ireland, you would be talking about significant increases in fare".

"We do not support it, it would penalise regions of the EU that are geographically disadvantaged", said Georgios Alogoskoufis, the Greek finance minister.

The idea came to be discussed by finance ministers following a proposal by French president Jacques Chirac in January that there be a general air tax to boost aid to developing countries.

The voluntary tax proposal will be discussed again next month and would be an extra source of aid revenue beyond the EU's poverty-reducing pledges made under the Millennium Development goals - aimed at halving poverty by 2015.

But a formal air tax was not the only issue that failed to see agreement. Ministers also came no closer to reaching a deal on how to finance the union from 2007 to 2013.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Juncker said he was not sure whether he would be able to forge a deal by the end of his country's EU presidency on 30 June but added "I am convinced the next presidency [under the UK] will not be able to do so".

Too many issues such as the British rebate, the amount the biggest net contributors are prepared to pay into the EU coffers as well as a discussion on the co-financing of agriculture - continue to obstruct agreement.

Last month, the European Commission warned that if there is no agreement in June, up to 40 per cent of the EU budget - such as structural aid - will not be paid out at the beginning of 2007 as it ought to be.