Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-08-Speech-1-080"
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"en.20100208.14.1-080"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the European Union is founded on a relationship of solidarity between its Member States. Indeed, a good example of this solidarity is administrative cooperation on tax matters, which is a key element of the functioning of the Union. This is all about loyalty between Member States and their tax administrations. Such loyalty translates into trust, whereby partners trust each other, coming to see themselves as allies who will not allow fraudsters to find refuge in their territory and continue their fraudulent activities there.
Tax fraud tarnishes the entire economy, and has serious implications for national budgets, as it reduces capacity to incur expenditure and undertake investment. In addition, the principle of tax equity is infringed, as regards those citizens who do abide by the rules. Unfair competition occurs, leading to inadequate functioning of the market. All these implications are particularly worrying because the latest estimates suggest that tax fraud in the European Union amounts to EUR 200 billion a year. If we consider that this figure equates to twice the cost of the Commission’s proposed economic recovery plan, the size of the sum involved can be appreciated.
We are therefore facing a major challenge and should come up with a decisive response. The directive currently in force certainly represented a first step along the way. Unfortunately, and despite all the good intentions enshrined in that directive, its practical implementation has not produced the desired results.
It is now time to go a step further and equip ourselves with new instruments so that issues in the field of taxation are dealt with alongside market integration and liberalisation. I therefore welcome the proposal tabled by Commissioner Kovács and I would like to congratulate him on his work throughout his entire mandate, and today, in particular, on this proposed new directive.
The proposal will equip us with more and more efficient means with which to combat tax fraud and tax evasion in Europe. The new directive represents a qualitative and quantitative leap forward in this respect. It is a quantitative step forward because it sets new obligations and a qualitative step forward because it extends and specifies the existing obligations. The field of application is extended by moving from exchange of information upon request to automatic exchange.
The third new element is the lifting of banking secrecy. As I see it, this is the most notable measure in the proposal, in that the practice of banking secrecy is the main barrier facing tax administrations. The OECD has long called for the lifting of banking secrecy, and the G20 has now taken up this cause. The implementation of this will provide a very efficient tool to put an end to the untenable existence of tax havens within the EU.
This aim is shared by the report before us today. In this report, we actually aim to strengthen the results of the Commission’s proposals. The idea is to improve the efficiency and the area of application of the new directive.
I do not intend to provide an exhaustive commentary, and will focus on the main amendments. Firstly, the area of application is extended, the implementation of automatic information exchange is strengthened, and regarding banking secrecy, it is proposed extending the applicability criterion to bring it into line with the rest of the directive. There are also compromise amendments, namely those relating to automatic information exchange, data protection and confidentiality, and to the exchange of information with third countries.
Finally, I should like to thank my fellow committee Members for their work and their willingness to cooperate. They are to be congratulated on their attitude. We have achieved a broad degree of consensus. The House is sending out a clear message. Parliament is firmly committed to combating tax fraud and tax evasion and to strengthening the great EU principles of loyalty, transparency and fair competition."@en1
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