Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-02-08-Speech-1-124"
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"en.20100208.14.1-124"2
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"Mr President, I should like to refer to the reasons why we go beyond established OECD standards concerning automatic exchange of information.
Many arguments could be adduced in this regard, but clearly the OECD model relates to the broader framework of international relations in which the rules of the game are very different from those which apply in the European Union.
As Mr Kovács stated, there is a single economic area within the European Union in which tax information should enjoy the same freedom of movement as people, so that each Member State can apply its tax regime. What we have in the Union is a single market in which there are no barriers for goods or for people. There is therefore no reason to have barriers where tax information is concerned.
The Member States are part of a political project and the relationship between their tax administrations must be consistent with that political project. Political principles are at stake here, over and above issues of practical desirability.
I should also like to emphasise that national fiscal sovereignty is strengthened rather than weakened by combating fraud. In other words, the fiscal sovereignty of Member States will be strengthened as more effective instruments for the implementation of their own tax system become available to them. Thus, we should bear all this in mind and it is therefore incumbent on us to support this directive.
In addition, as Mr Klinz has rightly said, fraud is an offence. It cannot be justified by resorting to such feeble arguments as the high tax regimes in certain fiscal systems. On the contrary, I would go so far as to argue that if tax fraud were reduced, taxes could be lowered. We must certainly persevere in our efforts to simplify the various fiscal systems.
In conclusion, I should like to emphasise that the four reports and the four directives we are supporting have a strong deterrent effect, because when taxpayers realise that as a result of these provisions, fraudsters will have less room for manoeuvre and fewer safe havens available, the temptation to engage in such activity will be much less. Even if some individuals do attempt to engage in this activity, we shall have more effective instruments available with which to deal with them.
Finally, I must mention that these measures come at a most opportune moment, as the crisis has highlighted the dangers of a lack of transparency, transmission from certain countries to others, and the need for public stimuli. In this connection, I should like to refer to Mr Lamberts’ support. He has made it clear that in times such as these, public finances must make a special effort to adopt measures aimed at economic revival and social protection so as to mitigate the effects of the crisis.
For all these reasons, today’s citizens are more than ever aware of the seriousness of tax fraud and of its consequences for the economy in general. They are also eager for their representatives to take appropriate measures to deal with the matter."@en1
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