At the request of the opposition N-VA, Vlaams Belang and PTB, a second reading will be necessary before the text is sent back to plenary. A legal note from the House services was also requested. The reform is due to come into force on April 1.
This bill carried by Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V) reflects the agreement reached on 6th February last within the Vivaldi majority. It concerns the changeover from a temporary 6% VAT regime on natural gas and electricity to a definitive regime through a so-called intelligent reform of excise duties on the same products, in order to take better account of price trends.
The calculation of the excise rate will be made on the basis of the average prices for 2021. In addition, a “basic package” of electricity and natural gas with reduced excise duties will be created. This first tranche will amount to 3 MWh for electricity and 12 MWh for natural gas. In addition, the reform provides for automatic offsetting at excise duty level of the “VAT benefit” that would result from fluctuations in market prices.
During the debate, the minister refuted the opposition’s allegations, believing that the bills would increase on April 1. The PTB announced in a press release the launch of an online petition against this reform. For its part, the N-VA again insisted on the budgetary impact of the measure and denounced, in its eyes, a “lack of transparency” on this subject.