European Commission investigating VW’s Luxembourg taxes
An EU watchdog is examining Volkswagen’s tax arrangements with Luxembourg’s government, reported Bloomberg. The European Commission’s competition unit “is looking into whether the carmaker, mired in a separate scandal over diesel emissions, may have benefited from an unfair tax deal from the grand duchy”. A VW spokesman told Bloomberg that the company’s Luxembourg taxes are “in line with applicable laws” and not based on so-called “comfort letters”. The grand duchy’s finance ministry and the commission declined the news agency’s requests for comment. The same commission unit ordered Amazon to pay €250m in back taxes to Luxembourg and Apple to pay Ireland €1.3bn after finding the firms received unfair tax deals; appeals have been made in both cases.
Brussels could tap €56bn in ECB profits
The European Commission will consider diverting European Central Bank profits to fill the EU’s budget hole when Britain leaves the bloc, according to the Financial Times. Currently 90% of ECB profits on printing banknotes are distributed to central banks of the 19 eurozone members, which often pass the funds on to national treasuries. The commission will examine raiding those funds, which could yield an estimated €56bn over 7 years, the FT said. The UK is currently the bloc’s second largest budget contributor; Brexit will leave an annual hole of €10bn-€13bn in EU finances.
Why Luxembourg did not expel Russian diplomats
The grand duchy was not among the western countries to expel Russian diplomats this week in response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack for a calibrated reason. Eighteen EU countries, the US, Canada, Australia and Nato have told a total of nearly 150 Russian diplomats to leave their posts. But according to the Wall Street Journal: “Diplomats said the overall number of EU countries acting might have been bigger but that several small countries, like Malta and Luxembourg, which have small embassies in Moscow, were wary of tit-for-tat expulsions that could have cut direct bilateral ties completely.”
Cargolux using paper pallets
Cargolux has started trialling pallets made of 100% recycled cardboard. The German company that makes the paper pallets says they are 80% lighter than wood pallets, reported Freight Week. Cargolux is using the green pallets for pharmaceutical shipments out of Findel airport. The airline told the trade magazine that using such products “has the potential to reduce its fuel consumption by 1,200 tons per year with subsequent lower CO2 emissions” and cuts handling time, the use of forklifts and disposal costs.
Wind warning
Meteolux has issued a yellow weather warning for Wednesday, from 6pm to 11pm, for all Luxembourg. The weather service forecast wind gusts of 65km/h to 75 km/h.
But he’s French
A French waiter fired from a Vancouver restaurant for being “aggressive, rude and disrespectful” to diners has sued his ex-employer, arguing that he’s just French, reported the AFP, CBC and Washington Post. Guillaume Rey lodged a complaint against Milestones Grill and Bar before British Columbia’s Human Rights Tribunal accusing the restaurant of “discrimination against my culture”. The tribunal has said the case can proceed.