16 July 07
FTO poised for APD High Court battle
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THE FTO hopes to have a court judgment
over the legality of Air Passenger Duty by the end of this month.
The organisation is due to challenge
the tax at the High Court tomorrow, claiming that it is in breach of the
Chicago Convention which says airline taxes can only be used to fund
services related to the sector.
It will also argue that the human
rights of tour operators were breached when the tax was doubled at short
notice last year.
And it will claim that it breaches the
Treaty of Rome which ensures freedom of movement for goods and services
across the EU.
The FTO has insisted the challenge is
not an attempt “to avoid the urgent need for all sectors, aviation
included, to reduce their impact on the environment”.
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