Aragon gets on Spain's ecotax bandwagon

Hard on the heels of the Spanish government's announcement of a green fiscal policy (EED 18/11/05), the country's autonomous region of Aragon will this month approve legislation to tax industrial air pollution and other environmentally harmful activities while reducing the tax burden on families. The emissions tax, to be levied on installations producing sulphur and nitrogen oxides and CO2, is expected to raise €10m annually. Ski resorts and hypermarkets will also be liable. The Aragon business confederation said the taxes would undermine competitiveness. See press release.