Congress approves the reform of the tax on fluorinated gases with criticism of the PSOE for sneaking it into another law

PP, Vox and Cs blame the socialists for a "perverse trick" for including this express modification in a rule on transparency

MADRID, 9 Jun. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Congress approved this Wednesday the reform of the Tax on Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (IGFEI), amid criticism from the opposition to the PSOE for sneaking it as an amendment to another bill completely unrelated to the environmental or tax field.

And it is that this reform was included in the presentation of a PSOE bill to modify the Transparency Law and oblige public administrations to publish statistical information on the participation of SMEs in public procurement.

The bill has been approved and sent to the Senate by the Industry, Commerce and Tourism Commission, with the votes of the PSOE, United We Can, Esquerra Republicana and the PNV, while the PP, Vox and Ciudadanos have voted against, in protest against what they consider a "trick" by the main government group.

"It is an absolutely perverse formula to act and goes against the minimum principles of democratic quality and transparency", the 'popular' Jesús Postigo has claimed, while his colleague Víctor Píriz believes that reforming this tax without any public debate supposes an "abusive" practice. ".

"This is a shame. It is a lack of the slightest institutional respect, to the legislative work, to the rest of the groups, to the affected sectors that are stolen from the debate and to the SMEs", María Muñoz, from Cs, has abounded. describing the PSOE's 'play' as a "trick".

Emilio del Valle, a deputy for Vox, recalled that the reform of this tax was already approved as a draft, and he regretted that, instead of referring it to the Cortes, it was approved with this "subterfuge", something that he considers " an authentic legal aberration and a very bad legislative technique"

For the PSOE, Cristina López has rejected that there has been "no disrespect" -- "Work has been done in a presentation and it has been approved by a majority" -- and has justified this practice in "complying" with the deadlines of the Plan of Recovery with the European institutions: "The reason is none other than to shorten this reform as much as possible and comply with our commitments", he apologized.

This reform, proposed by the PSOE, was included in the text of the aforementioned law in the presentation phase (behind closed doors) with the support of United We Can and the PNV, the votes against the PP and Foro Asturias and the abstention of Vox .

This tax is levied on fluorinated gases, used in refrigeration equipment and highly polluting. This family of gases --hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)-- have a high global warming potential and are artificially created mainly for refrigeration and air conditioning processes, but also for extinguishing of fires, aerosols and foams for thermal and electrical insulation.

It involves a reduction in rates, which would go from 2% to 1.5% to be applied to the global warming potential (GWP) corresponding to each gas, with a maximum of 100 euros per kilo. In any case, the PSOE's proposal is to apply that maximum of 100 euros per kilo when its PCA is not known, unless proven otherwise.

Another change affects the taxable event, since it ceases to tax the sale or delivery of gases to the final consumer, instead directly taxing the manufacture, import, intra-community acquisition or irregular possession of fluorinated gases.

This reform completes the regulation on the tax base, which was limited to the weight of gases, to catalog the tax base of devices, products or equipment that contain gases but there is no data necessary to determine the tax base.

Among the exemptions proposed to the tax is its use as a raw material for its complete chemical transformation and for its destruction, its use in military equipment or to be incorporated into ships or aircraft of international maritime or air navigation (excluding private recreational equipment).

Finally, in view of the adaptation of the sectors affected by the new requirements, until December 31, 2023, the manufacture, import or intra-community acquisition of sulfur hexafluoride intended for the manufacture of electrical products will be exempt, and one more year, until on December 31, 2024, the manufacture, import or intra-community acquisition of gases that are destined for metered dose inhalers for the supply of pharmaceutical ingredients.