'Duty free over the net' gets local Euro MP's backing (Diana Wallis MEP)

Diana Wallis MEP <info@dianawallismep.org.uk>

'Duty free over the net' gets local Euro MP's backing

November 13, 2006 5:02 PM

Booze in the back of car Local Lib Dem Euro MP, Diana Wallis, has welcomed the news that UK shoppers may be able to buy alcohol and cigarettes from other parts of the EU over the internet at 'bargain prices' if a European Court judgement due later this month backs the move.

On 23rd November the European Court of Justice will consider the Advocate-General's report of last year which backed a change which will mean that goods from other EU states bought by individuals for their own use can be delivered to Britain free of UK duty.

Diana Wallis MEP, who is Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the European Parliament, said:

"This is good news for British consumers who have been denied the full advantages of the EU's Internal Market. It will hopefully draw a line under the nonsense of people having their cars confiscated at ports by UK customs when they cannot prove cigarettes and alcohol they bring into the UK is for their own use."

Diana Wallis MEP has been at the forefront of the campaign over several years which supports victims of so-called 'booze cruises'.

'I have many, many examples over the years of constituents who are stopped by UK customs and who have their cars confiscated because they cannot prove the cigarettes and alcohol they bring into the UK is for their own use. This ruling should mean that EU citizens no longer need to 'cruise' they merely have to surf from home!'

Notes

An advocate-general, Sir Francis Jacob, gave his independent legal advice and opinion to the European Court of Justice in December 2005. Although the court is not obliged to follow the advice, it is often a good indication of the court's eventual decision.

The judges will make their decision on 23 November in Luxembourg. In the present case (Staatssecretaris van Financiën V B.F. Joustra) a private individual, resident in the Netherlands, purchased duty-paid wine in France for his own use. He did not transport the wine himself, but engaged a transport company to do so. The Dutch tax authorities now wish to levy excise duty on the wine, and the UK government is supporting them in its action.