File photo.
Greece asked for a ten-year extension of the tax exemption on fuels for shipping, aviation and agriculture, three sectors of strategic importance, National Economy and Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis told ECOFIN ministers in Brussels on Thursday.
Pierrakakis said Greece supports the green transition but a “one size fits all” approach for all 27 EU member states is not feasible. He added that shipping and aviation are particularly important for Greece due to its location and that the exemption would prevent the country from facing a comparative disadvantage to other states. “We would not be willing to discuss anything less” than ten years, he said.
On agriculture, Pierrakakis noted that food security should be considered. He said Greece is examining and supports a permanent exemption for energy products and electricity used in the agriculture sector, even as the timetable for agriculture exemptions has already been extended in prior talks.