By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union may make it easier for governments to slash energy tax rates if prices jump unexpectedly, under draft proposals countries are discussing to overhaul the taxes in the bloc.

The European Commission proposed a revamp of EU energy tax rules in 2021 to make them more climate-friendly, including by introducing taxes on polluting aviation fuels, which currently escape EU-wide levies.

EU countries have struggled for years to agree on the proposal. Belgium, which led negotiations in the first half of this year, eventually halted talks because of…