Press Release - European book publishers welcome the Council Conclusions on the VAT action plan 

The Federation of European Publishers warmly welcomes the Conclusions adopted on 25 May by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council on the Commission VAT Action Plan, in which the Member States invite the Commission to present its proposal on VAT rates on e-publications by the end of the year.
 
“I’m delighted to see that our years of campaigning are bearing fruits”, said FEP President, Pierre Dutilleul, “and that the Council has joined the Commission and the Parliament in recognising that the rationale for a constructive taxation regime for books should apply to all the formats through which publishers are reaching out to their readers. As book publishers continue investing in technology and content creation to offer the best experience to their customers, the elimination of the tax discrimination will further support our modern and diverse European book market, in digital as in print.”

The Council Conclusions follow the presentation on 7 April of a Commission Action Plan on VAT, which foresees a proposal to address the VAT discrimination in the framework of the modernisation of the VAT framework and the removal of barriers to cross-border e-commerce. FEP and its members look forward to the proposal and will do their utmost to collaborate for its smooth adoption and implementation.
 
The Federation of European Publishers represents 28 national book publishers’ associations in the European Union and the European Economic Area.

PDF version here.

For more information, contact Enrico Turrin: eturrin@fep-fee.eu / 003227701110