Tsikoudia

Greece lost a fight to set a lower excise tax on two traditional spirits tsipouro and tsikoudia versus imported products after Europe's top court on Thursday backed the European Commission's view that such preferential treatment would breach EU laws.

Distillers in Greece were aghast on Sept.25 over EU demands for the abolition of long-running tax exemptions believed to cost the cash-strapped state millions of euros in lost revenue.

The European Commission has requested that Greece amend the consumption tax on traditional Greek sprits tsipouro and tsikoudia (strong distilled spirits containing a high degree of alcohol).