The interest is to get a foot in the door

The ball is now in the Government camp. Michel Rocard presents today to Christine Lagarde (economy) and Jean-Louis Borloo (ecology) its report on the climate energy contribution. Experts, who have reached a consensus on the idea of taxing all fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas), advocate an application as soon as 2010 to height of 32 euros per ton of CO2 emitted (and 100 euros in 2030). The Government also intends to initiate reform on January 1, 2010. But several sensitive issues are to be decided before the presentation of the Finance Bill in September. "We will open a great debate about what are the terms and conditions for the application of contribution," said François Fillon yesterday. For example, the taxation of electricity is still debate. If Michel Rocard is personally supportive, many experts consider as impossible to implement in the short term.

Above all, it is not certain that the Government retain the price defended by Michel Rocard. Despite the promised compensation, the rate of departure may seem too brutal: for households, the Bill would amount to more than 4 billion euros year next (and 7 or 8 cents per litre of fuel). The Government and the Elysee, it does not hide reflect at substantially lower prices, 15 euros or less, to make the less unpopular measure. "The interest is to get a foot in the door." "It is better to a low price, and little offsets, a high price and multiple derogations", summarizes a specialist of the record.

Avoid double punishment

Consistency with European quotas argues in this sense. "Appropriate to ensure consistency between the price of CO2, depending on whether they are related to quotas or a tax", warned the Government in its white paper on the contribution climate energy, in June. The quota market, covering about 45 of European programmes, today hit industries the more consumers of energy (iron and steel, cement, glass, etc.). For example, a company that produces 1.8 per tonne of paper or 500 kg of steel emits 1 tonne of co It is exchanged at 14.15 EUR, yesterday, on the market of quotas. To avoid the double penalty, the Rocard commission considers that the undertakings concerned must be removed from the scope of the carbon tax.

Sanctioned French household

But with a price of 32 euros, financial effort applied to French households would then two times more important than that imposed in polluting industries. "The problem is not the level of taxation of households, but the industry to high energy consumption.". "This is a significant contradiction at the European level, which reflects the strength of industrial lobbies," found Daniel Cohn-Bendit, yesterday, in "Les echos". "The gap between the French and European problem an intellectual", recognizes the MP UMP Gilles Carrez, Member of the commission Rocard. Injustice may seem all the more important that a part of the quotas of CO2 is issued, until 2013, for free.

The differences are actually to put into perspective. In July 2008, the value of per tonne of CO2 markets had reached 31 euros. It plunged to 8.20 euro in February. How such fluctuations The industry must provide, at the end of each year, an amount of allowances equal to their emissions and buy, if necessary, the quota surplus business. But with the crisis, they have reduced their CO2-emissions and have no need to purchase rights. In out of the crisis, it is however not excluded that the cost per ton of CO2 rushing to achieve, for example, 100 euros. The imbalance would then reverse. But, politically, the message is difficult to pass.