EU: Beer tax could increase by 31% as the European Commission proposed to raise the minimum tax on alcohol

The European Commission proposed September 08 to raise the European Union's minimum tax on alcohol, which was last fixed in 1992, Easy Bourse released September 08.

Under the commission's proposal, beer and alcohol taxes in some E.U. countries could rise by as much as 31% starting in 2008. For the 10 states that joined the E.U. in 2004, tax hikes might be deferred until 2010, according to the Commission's tax spokeswoman Maria Assimakopoulou.

Under the proposal, in some countries the price of a half liter of beer at 5% alcohol by volume could rise by an average EUR0.01, the Commission said.