11 hours ago
EU plots tax on British tourists to pay off Covid debts
The EU is 'plotting' to increase fees on British tourists entering the bloc to help Brussels pay off its Covid lockdown debts.
Officials are considering hitting non-EU travellers with an increased levy to help reduce the €350 billion common debt accrued by pandemic-era shutdowns.
British holidaymakers are already set to pay a £5.98 fee when the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) comes into force in autumn next year.
That €7 sum, which was first agreed in 2018, could now be further increased to boost tax revenues, diplomatic sources have revealed.
The increased charge could cause tensions with London and some 60 other countries with visa-free travel agreements with the EU – including the US.
However, influential Germany is opposed to the fee increase, arguing that it will discourage travel to the European continent.
The EU move also comes after Sir Keir Starmer was accused of making a series of 'surrenders' to Brussels, including a controversial fishing deal that would allow European fishermen to raid British waters until 2038.
A European Commission spokesman told Politico that 'a possible adjustment of the fee' was being considered.
'It seems that there is a possibility of a gradual increase of the fee, strengthening the long-term revenue potential,' the Polish rotating Council presidency of the EU wrote in an internal note.
The more expensive fee is gaining traction in talks ahead of the European Commission formal budget proposal, which is expected on July 16.
Supporters of the idea argue that the EU's €7 fee is far cheaper than the UK and US equivalent charges. The UK charges £16 for its Electronic Travel Authorisation, while the US levies £15.61 under its ESTA system.
British travellers faced long queues at passport control after Brexit, but Sir Keir claimed his reset deal with Brussels would make travel to Europe easier by enabling UK tourists to use e-gates again.
Mark Francois, the chairman of the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, said: 'This just adds insult to injury over the Government's so-called Brexit reset.
'Not only has it become apparent that promises of British tourists being fast-tracked through e-gates in EU countries were largely illusory, even when they do get through immigration, they will now pay extra for the privilege.
'This increasing tourist tax is another example of what a dangerous PR sham the fish surrendering, rule-taking 'reset' actually is.'
The European Commission estimates that up to 50 million travellers will pay the charge in 2027.
The fee only needs to be paid once for the lifetime of each ETIAS approval, which lasts for three years and grants short-term stays in the bloc's Schengen area of passport-free movement.
Politico reported the revenue from the increased charge would be less than €1 billion a year. The EU faces annual debt repayments of up to €30 billion from 2028 to pay off its joint coronavirus debt.
ETIAS was originally meant to come into force in 2022, but has been repeatedly delayed after technical issues.
One complication is the need for the system to interconnect with a new entry/exit system due in October this year.
That digital border system will replace the wet-stamping of passports with electronic registration and will collect fingerprints and facial images.
In January, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said British tourists would have to pay more to visit the Louvre to help fund a dedicated room for the Mona Lisa and a 'grand new entrance' to the world's most visited museum.
The current entry fee is €22 (£18.45), but Mr Macron said that non-EU visitors, including British tourists, would face a higher fee from Jan 1 next year to pay for the renovation to an attraction visited by almost nine million people last year.
Speaking in front of the Mona Lisa, he insisted that the overhaul, estimated to cost up to £671 million, would not cost the French taxpayer ' a single centime '.
After the announcement, Bruges, Madrid, Amsterdam and Berlin ruled out introducing their own ' Brexit tourist tax ' on UK citizens.
But in cities such as Barcelona there has been a backlash against Airbnb, with residents blaming short-term holiday rentals for pricing them out of affordable accommodation and creating a housing crisis.
Venice has introduced a €5 charge in an effort to reduce overcrowding and improve the quality of life for residents swamped by tourist numbers.
