Liechtenstein
and Switzerland have amended the bilateral agreement between the two
countries on environmental levies, to reflect the decision by both
treaty partner states to extend the carbon dioxide levy until 2020.
In
accordance with the agreement, Liechtenstein is obliged to transpose
Swiss Federal legislation on environmental taxes into national law.
An accord dating from January 29, 2010, bestows certain competencies
in the area of environmental levies and the Carbon Dioxide Act (CO2
Act) to the Swiss Federal Authorities.
Switzerland
revised its CO2 Act on January 1, 2013. Forming the cornerstone of
Swiss climate policy, the revised Act sets an emissions reduction
target for 2020 and sets out various measures for buildings,
transport and industry. Furthermore, the Act provides for the carbon
dioxide levy imposed on fossil fuel to be extended until 2020.
The
CO2 levy increases the cost of heating buildings with oil or gas,
making energy efficiency renovations and renewable energies more
attractive. A portion of the levy is used for the buildings program,
which promotes building renovations, investments in renewable
energies, waste heat recovery, and building utilities optimization.
The incentive fee for fossil thermal fuels also provides an incentive
to companies to operate as energy efficiently as possible.
Approximately
two-thirds of the CO2 levy is redistributed to the general public,
notably via a reduction in health insurance premiums. Since the
redistribution is carried out per capita or per franc of salary
independently of consumption, all households and installations that
consume low quantities of fossil thermal fuels benefit from it.
Consequently,
the Liechtenstein Government now aims to align its legislation with
Switzerland's revised CO2 Act. To this end, the Government recently
adopted a bill providing for the carbon dioxide levy to be extended
and submitted the corresponding report and application to parliament
for ratification.
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