the European Commission’s shock proposals on the superprofits tax

How to reduce the energy bill, which weighs down the purchasing power of Europeans? The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, banged her fist on the table on Wednesday, September 14. The record profits of energy operators will be taxed and redistributed to the most modest. “It’s not fair to make extraordinary profits right now through war and on the backs of consumers”she justified. En line of sight, the sectors of wind, nuclear, solar and hydroelectric dams. They produce electricity at a very low cost, but sell it at a high price matching that of gas.

Above the threshold of 180 euros per MWh, profits will be taken. The objective is to recover 117 billion euros in this way. Member States will then have to pay the money back. “They have every interest, if they also want to prevent social unrest from rising in the face of skyrocketing energy bills”, analyzes Sébastien Maillard, director of the Jacques Delors Institute. A contribution will also be requested from producers of fossil fuels: oil, gas and coal. At least a third of the superprofits will be taxed to recover an additional 25 billion euros.