During the meeting of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) in the EP in Brussels, MEPs exchange of views with Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs on taxation issues.

Brussels

exchange of views

meeting

fight against tax fraud and evasion (T)

Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

MOSCOVICI, Pierre (PSE, FR, EC)

Taxation issues: extracts from the exchange of views with Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs

Arrival of EU Commissioner, atmosphere before the exchange of views, 3 shots

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, If Europe wishes to be sovereign and also to hold on its tax sovereignty it has to be collectively, because any individual approaches will simply be raised to the bottom, where everyone the citizens, SME&rsquo;s, National budgets will all loose out and that what is the case of today.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, We have to maintain our ambitions so that the fundamental reforms that are on the table are concluded, not only the CCTB and taxation of digital companies, but also proposals to set up a definitive modern VAT regime that actually works for the EU.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Our states are facing massive loss, more than a 150 Billion a year VAT and that is no longer acceptable, so the two pillars here, first of all digital tax, but in cooperating to CCTB which is as far as I&rsquo;m concerned is the mother of all reforms for effective, strong taxation cooperation in the 21st century, 2ndly the VAT, if we can make good progress on these two fronts then I think this mandate will be very useful.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierre MOSCOVICI, Member of the EC in charge of Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, I can confirm that the reactions of some ministers of the 7 countries mentioned in our country reports, I would say to be diplomatic quite lively and my reaction to their reaction was also lively, because I think they should recognize that we never attack them as tax heavens, when they were pin pointed as such by some NGO&rsquo;s because we have strict definitions, but again it makes no sense from them to deny that there is a problem and that this problem needs to be dealt with and this is certainly a reason for them to legislate.