Parlementaire vragen over het Hongaarse voorstel voor data-belasting

Met dank overgenomen van M.R. (Marietje) Schaake i, gepubliceerd op woensdag 29 oktober 2014, 1:47.

Vandaag stelde Marietje Schaake parlementaire vragen aan de Europese Commissie over het Hongaarse voorstel voor het instellen van een data-belasting. ‘Hongarije mag het creëeren van een digitale internet markt, die we in Europe zo hard nodig hebben, niet tegenhouden’, zegt Marietje Schaake. ‘Als het eerste land dat internet belasting wil heffen is dat een reëel risico. Ik wil ook zeker weten dat deze plannen van de regering Orban netneutraliteit niet ondermijnen.’

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Authors: Marietje Schaake, Sophie in ‘t Veld

Subject: Hungarian proposal for imposing a data tax

On 21 October, the Hungarian government submitted a draft tax bill to parliament. Amongst others, it proposes to establish the obligation for internet service providers (ISP’s) to pay taxes on data traffic. Given the government party’s majority in parliament, the proposal has a high chance of becoming law. [1]

  • 1. 
    How does the Commission assess the proposal, in what way was the Commission informed prior to this draft bill being made public, does the Commission consider the tax in line with EU2020 objectives and with conditions for EU structural funds for Hungary, and how does this proposal relate to planned EU legislation such as the Telecom Single Market, in particular to netneutrality and Deep Packet Inspection?
  • 2. 
    Does the Commission agree that the proposed internet tax may increase the tax burden of Hungarian ISP’s, and impact consumers with negative consequences for competition, broadband investments, economic development and access to internet - especially as regards remote regions and lower income areas, thereby increasing the digital divide?
  • 3. 
    How does the Commission see the exceptional position Hungary would take as the first country in the world to impose a data tax, in combination with the goal of removing barriers to create a Single Digital Market?

[1] http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/10/22/uk-hungary-internet-tax-idUKKCN0IB0RI20141022

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