According to the agency, the finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Austria, Poland, and Portugal, along with Spain’s economy minister, sent a joint letter to the Irish finance minister, whose country currently holds the EU Council presidency. The ministers want the issue of a profit tax to be on the agenda at the meeting of EU finance ministers in Dublin in September.
“Six European Union countries are stepping up pressure to introduce an EU tax on the windfall profits of oil companies, whose revenues have surged due to the war in the Middle East,” the agency’s report states.
According to the report, the ministers argue that countries are facing one of the most severe fuel supply crises in recent decades, and discontent over the rising cost of living is growing worldwide.
As noted by Agence France-Presse, citing a source from the ministry, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has stated on several occasions that energy companies should not be allowed to “rip off” their consumers during the current crisis.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright reported earlier that, according to his data, total oil shipments from the Persian Gulf region have increased, averaging about 15 million barrels per day, thanks to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and upgraded pipeline infrastructure.
