Jeppe KOFOD (S&amp;D, DK), Co-Author, Petr JEZEK (ALDE, CZ), Co-Author, Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Markus FERBER (EPP, DE) and Ana GOMES (S&amp;D, PT) express themselves during the meeting of the Committee of Inquiry on money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (PANA) in the EP in Brussels.

Brussels

meeting

JUNCKER, Jean-Claude (LU)

KOFOD, Jeppe (S&D, DK)

fight against tax fraud and evasion (T)

fight against organised crime, corruption and money laundering (T)

Panama Papers inquiry committee

GOMES, Ana (S&D, PT)

hearing

FERBER, Markus (EPP, DE)

JEŽEK, Petr (ALDE, CZ)

Committee of Inquiry on money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion (PANA): extracts from the hearing with Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, We have worked hard on the OECD BEPS initiative on base erosion and profit shifting, we have introduced anti-tax evasion measures to try and unravel some of the most common schemes used by companies to avoid the taxation. We have gone further than what the OECD is proposing because our rules are therefore binding.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, We still have an issue of profit shifting and the way to combat that is the CCCTB the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base that would prevent tax evasion carried-out by multinational companies whilst respecting member states freedom to set their own tax rates.

SOUNDBITE (French), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, Tax evasion is a worldwide phenomenon and we are working to try and put together a list of tax havens by the end of the year we will have a common list in place which will ensure that those countries which are not keen on entering into dialogue with us and do not want to cooperate should also apply principles of good governance.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jeppe KOFOD (S&amp;D, DK), Co-Author, The issue of whistle-blowers, the leaks not only the Panama Papers but also Lux and Swiss leaks and all the other leaks, what will the Commission do to protect the whistle-blowers behind these leaks much better? Because as we've seen in Luxembourg it's a tragedy I have to say that the whistle-blowers that revealed the illegal practices of the Luxemburg government and multinational corporations that they were trialled, this is a scandal.

SOUNDBITE (English), Petr JE&#381;EK (ALDE, CZ), Co-Author, The Commission supervisory role in implementation of the EU law was somehow insufficient or neglected, I am mean the law of course against money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion. The Panama Papers revealed scandal of large scale and at the same time we have not seen much on the European Commission interaction with the member states when implementing the EU law and it also seems that the European Commission has not build sufficient capacities to deal with the task.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I am not here to criticise the member states although I am used to it and they are used to that but we are working on a second version of a black list, we are in contact with member states and our intention is to publish before the end of this year a new black list as far as outside EU tax jurisdictions are concerned which are not in line with international standards.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, In July 2016 we have proposed new rules to extend the access to beneficial ownership information to tax authorities because it is of the outmost importance that tax authorities can identify the ultimate owner behind a global company or entity. These rules come to force on the 1 of January 2018.

SOUNDBITE (German), Markus FERBER (EPP, DE), Let me come to the point, the Commission has approved a tax haven within the European Union, Madeira. It was in '87 that the regime there was approved although in the decision the Commission makes it clear that the decision does not make it possible to set up an autonomous regime in Madeira, the aim is the creation of jobs.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, The outermost regions of the European Union do occasionally need these kinds of special exceptions of the rules, that's why the rules were set up for Madeira.

SOUNDBITE (English), Ana GOMES (S&amp;D, PT), Will the Commission care about the real system for money laundering that is involved in the golden visas, investors programs, sale of passports going on in several European countries including my own Portugal and will you care for freeports, including the one in Luxemburg that is one of the latest devices for money launderers and this is not just about tax evasion is money laundering and a betting organised crime including terrorism.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC, I will have a look into this problem of the freeport because I know what this is about now.