Duty freebie
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Norne the opening of the Single European Market, truckers will be mourning the loss of their duty free allowances on board ferries.
They'll be comforted to learn that one privileged group will be keeping this perk — the 17 members of the European Commission and its senior officials.
This has been disclosed in a European Parliament question from a Dutch MEP who wanted to know why commissioners would continue to enjoy a concession which they are working hard to abolish for the rest of the population.
Mme Christiane Scrivener, the commissioner responsible for taxation issues, explains that sales to senior commission personnel are based on special concessions granted by international conventions to embassy and consular staff. Talk about a duty freebie.