EU Member States continue to block progress on tax transparency

Today, EU Member States continued to block public tax transparency of large companies. At today’s meeting of the relevant Council Working Party on Company Law, representatives of the national governments were unable to agree on a common position on the Commission proposal for public country-by-country reporting.

Yesterday, MEPs adopted a cross-party resolution calling on EU governments to abandon their blockade of public tax transparency.

Sven Giegold MEP, economic affairs spokesperson for the Greens/EFA group comments:

“By blocking tax transparency for large companies, European governments are gambling with citizens’ trust in the European Union. Combating tax dumping by multinational companies would be possible through joint action by European Member States. So long as Germany continues to block action on tax transparency other Member States will remain reluctant to change their positions."

“Country-by-country tax transparency would effectively put a stop to the transfer of profits to tax havens. Europe should exercise its sovereignty by defending fair competition and tax justice. European politics should not be driven by cowardice.”

Heidi Hautala, Greens/EFA MEP and Vice President of the European Parliament comments:

"I want to thank the Finnish Presidency for its honest attempt, but I am genuinely disappointed of the outcome.

“The vitality of the EU economy depends on whether we are able to put an end to tax evasion. The EU is digging its own hole when it is unable to take necessary decisions.

“Some Member States desperately cling to their "tax sovereignty" despite that it only leads to a tax flight to tax havens."

More:

Cross-party resolution of the European Parliament calling on the EU Member States to finally end their blockade in negotiations:

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2019-0048_EN.pdf