Quercus urges EU-wide VAT cuts to make repairing and reusing cheaper than buying new

Environmental association Quercus has submitted its position to the European Commission's consultation on VAT and the circular economy, which closes on 4 November. It wants harmonised, mandatory rules across member states, including reduced or zero VAT on repair services, spare parts and used components, and a common regime for second-hand goods. It also wants VAT deduction rules changed so that destroying usable unsold goods is no longer rewarded, with donation to social organisations favoured instead. In 2024 only 3% of materials used in Portugal came from recycled sources, against an EU average of 12.2%. Quercus asks for impact assessments with comparable indicators.