Brussels Weighs a Bloc-Wide Windfall Tax as Fuel Prices Bite

European governments have discussed imposing a bloc-wide windfall tax on energy companies, the Guardian reported on Friday, as near-record fuel and gas prices pile pressure on leaders trying to contain mounting costs for households and firms. The British daily said a German minister accused the companies of "exploiting" the situation in the Middle East, and that sky-high prices have become a major domestic issue for European leaders.

The Guardian frames the debate as one that has moved from the margins of energy policy to the centre of national politics. It does not name the German minister, and it does not report that any measure has been agreed or drafted. What it describes is a discussion among governments, prompted by pump prices and gas bills that have returned to near their highest levels.