Taxation of still wine in the Czech Republic and other member states of the European Union

The article focuses on the comparison of wine taxation indicators in the Czech Republic and other member states of the European Union. The author wants to contribute to the discussion on the introduction of a higher than zero rate on still wines in the Czech Republic. When introducing the taxation of still wine in the Czech Republic, it is necessary to proceed in accordance with the applicable directives of the European Union. These are Council Directive (EU) 2020/1151 and Directive 92/83/EEC. The 2020 Directive regulates the conditions for the application of reduced rates for wines and amends Directive 92/83/EEC, which sets a rate of zero for still wines. The source of data for comparing indicators applicable in the area of wine taxation are European Commission and Eurostat documents. Cluster analysis ranked the states of the European Union according to their similarity of the observed characteristics. The clustering objects have made up of 27 member states and their characteristics are indicators of taxation in the field of still wine. It is evident that states with high production prefer lower taxation of still wine and consumption is usually at a higher level in these states. In contrast, states with lower or no production more often choose higher taxation and consumption is rather low here. France with higher taxation of still wine and Italy with no consumption taxes appear to be specific.