The Romanian authorities received a clear message from the European Commissioner for taxation, Laszlo Kovacs: the money received as "car first registration tax" must be returned to the taxpayers. In case a solution, one will be found by the European Court of Justice, and it will consist in the same refund to taxpayers, Kovacs declared for HotNews.ro.

The European Commissioner declared on Thursday that Brussels officials were in constant negotiations with the Bucharest authorities, and Kovacs himself spoke with Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu a few times and meeting the Environment and the Economy ministers. "The problem of the tax in its version was that it was discriminatory. Then we were very close to a solution, until the Government decided to change the entire ground for the tax, namely taking into account the CO2 emissions".

"I told the prime minister that the Brussels is open to any solution that is not discriminatory and helps protecting the environment. (...)Being an important matter, we are patient enough to wait a week or two for the solution suggested by the Romanian Government", said the European commissioner.

Laszlo Kovacs emphasized in a previous conference that the CO2 emissions and the first registration tax are important means to help the environment.

Commissioner Kovacs says that the new formula is at this moment in the hands of experts and that he will formulate an opinion after their response. Still, Romania must find a solution to agree with the European regulations.

Romania needs as well a way to refund the money to all those who paid the tax up to this moment. Kovacs pointed at Hungary, where a similar problem existed and the Government refunded the tax.