European Union: New Euro Taxes and Loans Require Parliamentary Approval, Says Taxpayers Association
The European Taxpayers Association urges rejection of EU’s new taxes and borrowing plans, stressing sovereignty, transparency, and budget accountability remain with national parliaments—not Brussels.
The European Taxpayers’ Association has launched a campaign against the planned EU borrowing and taxes being prepared by the European Union. “Europe is a union of sovereign member states, not a federal fiscal state,” emphasized the association’s president, Michael Juenger, during the presentation of the “StopEUTaxes” initiative. According to this initiative, tax policy requires “direct democratic legitimacy,” which is not found “in Brussels” but in national parliaments. “Anyone who wants to restore trust cannot expand tax powers.”
In addition to rejecting a permanent EU tax and new communal borrowing, the Taxpayers’ Association demands “full transparency and accountability” in budgetary matters. Rather than new revenue sources, EU programs must also be funded “efficiently” using existing means.
The EU wants to finance debt repayment through new taxes
The trigger for this was the ongoing discussion regarding the future financing of the EU through new own resources. Already in February, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) expressed opposition to further EU borrowing, according to Junge Freiheit. In contrast, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron support the idea that Brussels should take on new loans.
From 2028 onwards, the European Commission plans to finance the next seven-year budget through taxes for the first time, including its own tobacco tax as well as a uniform levy on companies with high sales. Furthermore, Brussels intends to collect 30% of the revenues from CO2 emissions trading, which so far has fully belonged to the national states.
The necessity arises from the required repayment of debts incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Brussels took out loans for the first time in order to finance member states’ recovery programs following the restrictions. Between 2028 and 2034, the European Commission plans to spend nearly two trillion euros, of which 168 billion euros will be used solely for debt repayment.
