Let them drink water
Come the silly season and the Eurocrats in Brussels can’t think of anything more outrageously funny than launching their plans to harmonise excise within the EU. The timing could not have been worse. This year, beer consumption in many European countries will be suffering as a consequence of bad weather and consumer reluctance to spend on all things naughty but nice after the introduction of the new currency, Euro, which, according to popular sentiment, has made life more expensive than it was under the old currency regimes.
For Germany, the harmonised EU excise on beer (EUR11.80 per hl) would mean an increase of 25 per cent on the current rate (EUR9.44 per hl) and a price hike of 30 cents on a crate of beer. Wine, which is still excise-free in Germany, would be excised at EUR16..
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