In a debate on the social and economic consequences of the war in Ukraine on Tuesday in Strasbourg, members of the European Parliament supported the taxation of extraordinary profits made by energy companies during the crisis, while Croatian MEP Biljana Borzan called their extra profit war profiteering.

The MEPs asked for measures of solidarity with those most affected by the energy crisis caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine calling for the burden of the crisis to be redistributed to those who made an unexpected profit from it.

The Commission has already outlined its plans for such a temporary levy, defined as a solidarity tax.

Speaking on behalf of the EU Council chaired by his country, Czech Minister Ivan Bartos underscored that the EU is looking for a joint response to protect European “citizens and companies from the consequences of an unjust war” and provide them with a “sustainable cost of living.”

The European Commission is expected to present concrete proposals on Tuesday on how to reduce high energy prices. The proposals include the joint procurement of gas in order to avoid members competing against each other on the energy market, new targets in energy saving, negotiations with reliable gas suppliers and limiting wholesale gas prices.

Borzan (S&D) said that the cost of the crisis should not be passed on to the burden of citizens but on those who profited significantly from the crisis.

“It is time to take from those who have and give to those who do not have. For some, the crisis is a God’s sent! Digital giants – although they are making huge profits, they are laying off workers,” said Borzan.

“Pharmaceutical companies have become richer by selling vaccines than the countries that subsidised the development of those same vaccines with public money. The excess profit of energy companies this year will be €200 billion. That is war profiteering,” she said.