The European Commissioner for Economic and Financial affairs, Taxation and Customs Pierre Moscovici said that the scrapping of the discount on the special consumption tax on agricultural diesel was solely a decision made by the Greek government in the framework of the August agreement with its creditors. In his response to New Democracy’s MEP Manolis Kefalogiannis, the Commissioner made it clear that the measures adopted by the Greek government on the tax were not mandated or enforced upon it by the EU, but were a commitment and a decision undertaken on its own accord. He said that any imposition of such measures on Greece would not be possible as it would contravene the terms of the new fiscal adjustment program (3rd memorandum) agreed between the two parties. Meanwhile, according to newspaper Kathimerini, Greek taxpayers paid 1 billion Euros more in June compared to the same period of 2015.