One million for five per cent

EDRA, the European DIY Retail Association, has launched a campaign to collect signatures for lowering value-added tax on eco-friendly products to five per cent in the EU. One million signatures must be collected in order to prompt the European Commission into starting the appropriate legislative process. To this end EDRA has now set up a website for the campaign at www.greenprice.eu. The Association argues that only a reduction will make many premium green products affordable for millions of consumers who want to save both energy and money. Such products include insulation materials, solar installations, wind turbines and heat pumps, as well as LED lights and household appliances with an A+ energy efficiency rating. Current participants in the campaign include Kingfisher’s B&Q in the UK, Groupe Adeo’s Leroy Merlin in France, Obi in Germany and Italy, Baumax in Austria and Woodies DIY in Ireland, as well as the DIY retail associations in Italy and Spain. It is being coordinated by Alisdair Gray, EDRA Director of European Affairs. As he sees it, “Rising prices and falling salaries need not mean hardship for our customers. Renovating your home, at a price everyone can afford, is possible. But we need governments to help make this possibility a reality.” Apparently more than 25 000 signatures have been collected online so far.