“Absurd” decision by European Commission means VAT of 20%, rather than 5% By Georgina Adam | From issue 219, December 2010 Published online 16 Dec 10 (market) Dan Flavin at the Hayward Gallery in London: to European officials this has no more merit than your kitchen ceiling (Photo: REUTERS/Paul Hackett) LONDON. In an astonishing move, the European Commission (EC) has reversed a decision made in