Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2013-07-02-Speech-2-754-000"
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"en.20130702.56.2-754-000"2
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"Mr President, can I thank colleagues for the debate and for the amendments. I will be accepting most of the amendments put down by colleagues, including some by the Greens and one by Mr Skylakakis as well. I wanted to reassure colleagues that I have no intention of watering down the report and that is why I intend accepting most of the amendments.
Indeed, I hope that my report demonstrates to Parliament and the citizens that Members of the European Parliament are taking the issue of fraud very seriously. But I would say that there has been some progress – the figures pointed out by myself and other colleagues show there has been progress – and I wanted to thank the Commissioner as well for giving us an update on some of the initiatives that the Commission is undertaking about having a proper definition of fraud, about the VAT Directive, the action plan and the strategy for dealing with cigarette smuggling, etc.
But I think there is also a consensus within Parliament that further progress is required. Further progress is needed by OLAF, and colleagues have mentioned that in the debate tonight; further progress by the Commission is needed, particularly on the coordination and harmonisation of reporting and dealing with fraud; and on recoveries, although the figures are improving further progress is definitely needed there too.
Of course more needs to be done by the Member States as well, particularly on the issue of tax evasion and tax fraud. At every summit of Member States they always say they want to tackle tax evasion and tax fraud, but very little action has taken place. So I think we all have a duty – the Commission, OLAF, Member States, this Parliament – to show that we take the issue of tackling fraud seriously and I would hope, and indeed I am sure, that tomorrow when we have our vote in this Parliament, we will demonstrate that we do take the issue very seriously."@en1
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