CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale, has handed in a petition with over 26,000 signatures to 10 Downing Street, calling on the Government to support the cider sector by rejecting an EU tax on small producers.
Damaging small-scale cider production
The EU has demanded that the Government remove an existing tax exemption for small cider makers who produce fewer than 70 HL of cider a year, or around 33 pints a day. These producers are mainly hobbyists and farm-gate producers, selling under £10,000 worth of cider a year which means that the proposed tax bill of up to £2,700 a year would have a huge impact.
CAMRA fully supports the availability of real cider and perry and is concerned that this action would make small-scale cider production uneconomic and lead to wide-spread closures, seriously damaging a small but vibrant industry. The petition has secured the support of a number of MPs and MEPs, who have also written to the European Commissioner and Treasury about this issue. David Warburton MP for Somerton and Frome joined CAMRA to hand in the petition.
Andrea Briers, CAMRA National Cider and Perry Committee Chairman says: “The European Union’s demand to increase tax costs for small cider producers will force many to close. If these producers are driven out of business it will dramatically reduce consumer choice and cause irreparable damage to one of the nation’s most historic industries.”
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