Constituent meeting of the new EP Committee PANA (Panama papers): arrivals and extracts from the vote on the election of the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the EP Committee on money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion. Opening statements by Markus FERBER (EPP, DE), Dariusz ROSATI (EPP, PL), Werner LANGEN (EPP, DE), Chairman of the PANA Committee.

Brussels

fight against tax fraud and evasion (T)

Panama Papers inquiry committee

LANGEN, Werner (EPP, DE)

FERBER, Markus (EPP, DE)

constituent meeting

ROSATI, Dariusz (EPP, PL)

Constituent meeting of the new EP Committee PANA (Panama papers): arrivals and extracts from the vote

SOUNDBITE (English), Markus FERBER (EPP, DE), Acting president opening the meeting announcing the election: It is a pleasure for me welcoming all of you to theconstitutive meeting of the committee of inquiry to investigate allege contravention andmaladministration in the application of Union law in relation to money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion and the acronym is PANA, which is something different, I don&rsquo;t think that you make PANA out of these words I have read out but everybody understand what is the background of that. First of all I declare the meeting open, I remind all of you that the purpose of our meeting is to constitute our committee bureau by electing the chair and the vie chairs in accordance with rules 198 and 204 of the rules of procedure.

SOUNDBITE (English), Dariusz ROSATI (EPP, PL), Of behalf of the EPP group I would like to submit the candidature of our colleague Werner Langen (EPP; DE ). We all know Werner Lange he is very experienced depute, he has been here in the Parliament for more than 20 years seating among other thing upon ECON Committee. He has wealth in experience in economic and tax matters and I think he would be an excellent candidate for the chairman ship of this committee of inquiry.

SOUNDBITE (English), Markus FERBER (EPP, DE), I declare Mr. Langen being an elected chair of this inquiry Committee and that gives me now the chance to change the place with him. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (German), Werner LANGEN (EPP, DE), Chairman of the PANA Committee, The name of this Committee is very clearly defined in the mandate in the contraventions of EU law andmal administration in relations with money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion. This on the bases on Rule 198 exactly we are looking to permission of Committee.

SOUNDBITE (German), Werner LANGEN (EPP, DE), Chairman of the PANA Committee, We want to examine how in the context of fiscal justice, tax avoidance and tax evasion on the basis of the information of the Panama papers given by the journalists, failures and problems occurred by the Member states and by the European Commission. We want to give recommendations for legislative changes, like for example in the context of money laundering, in context of the one person company status, etc. The mandate is defined in a very exact way, it will take 12 months and I hope that the committee PANA will be the right structure to clarify things and to achieve a progress.

SOUNDBITE (German), Werner LANGEN (EPP, DE), Chairman of the PANA Committee, The EP fights for fiscal justice and want to end tax avoidance in any case, that is our goal. More justice for the European citizens.