Registration tax on imported EU second-hand cars

Many letters have been printed in local newspapers on the registration tax on vehicles we Maltese citizens import from other EU countries.

The government is treating us like non-EU members since, although the EU asked it to reform this practice, it is still making us pay thousands of liri in registration tax, which other European countries do not charge their citizens.

This practice is not permitted in the EU, as witnessed by the reply I received from Signpost Service, legal experts for the European Commission, which states:

"Levying non-graduated taxes on imported second-hand cars raises a difficulty in the EU, especially where domestic second-hand cars are not taxed in that capacity because they were taxed earlier when new.

"The European Court of Justice has agreed that this method of taxation is permissible but that it may not exceed a maximum amount equal to the residual tax incorporated in the value of similar domestic second-hand cars."

This shows that the practice our authorities are applying is not correct as we are made to pay much more than the maximum amount equal to the residual tax incorporated in the value of similar domestic second-hand cars.

Can anyone explain this to the public, who are very eager to be treated like other European citizens?