EURapporteur Schlein to EuroFora: Same Anti-Tax Evasion Tools in Developing Countries + EU (Greece)?

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Replying to a Question by "EuroFora" at a Press Conference in EU Parliament after the Adoption by the Plenary of the Resolution she drafted on the Challenge of Tax Evasion in Developing Countries, which concerns many Billions $, EU's Rapporteur, MEP Elly Schlein, stressed that some among the most important Tools for the Fight against Tax Evasion in the Developing World, could also be used in EU Member States whevener they face similar problems, as, f.ex. in Greece, and elsewhere.

The mainstream Italian MEP, from the Governing Social-Democrat Party, and vice-President of the EU - Albania JPC, who had just succeeded to get 550 Votes in Favour, Against only 57, and 23 Abstentions, on her above-mentioned Report, earlier Today, shortly before of the forthcoming Global Development Conference in Adis Abeba later this Month (July), to be followed by September's New York International UNO gathering on the New Development Goals, made it clear that she hoped for EU Voice to be strongly Heard for Ambitious Targets in both these events, (considering also the fact that "Illicit Financial Flows get Out of Developing Countries at least 1.000 Billions $ per Year, i.e., i.e. much more than the Development Aid", as she denounced). But she also observed that EU must tackle some similar Problems among European Countries, whenever they are not efficient enough in facing this Global Threat  even inside the EU, while in both cases, certain "Fundamental Tools" concern "Multi-National Compagnies", (See f.ex. Infra) :

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    - "You spoke also about some EU Countries which, as you said, don't do enough to Fight efficiently against Tax Evasion/Avoidance. Among the big Topical Issues Today (Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReport on Greek Prime Minister Tsipras' Plenary Debate, earlier this Morning in Strasbourg, as well as previous relevant NewsReports from EU Summits in Brussels, etc), is also that of Greece, which, even if it isn't a Developing Country, nevertheless, it has some well known Problems on Tax Evasion", we observed at the beginning of our Question.

    => "Do you thing that something among what you proposed, even if it's mainly for Developing Countries, nevertheless, it might be useful also in such cases of EU Member States ?", "EuroFora" asked in substance the EU Parliament's Rapporteur .

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     - "Thank you for your Question". "At the Heart of the Debate is Tax Evasion", and "this is a Global Threat". Therefore, most of "the Tools that we can use are the Same", EU Parliament's Rapporteur replied to "EuroFora" positively in substance, right from the outset.

    - "F.ex., inside EU Parliament, we (MEPs) have established a Special Committee, whose term of office has just been prolonged for 6 more Months, after the Lux-Leak Scandal, and we are Discussing there also the Same kind of Instruments : F. ex., whether we'd have Automatic Exchange of Informations (Comp. Infra), where we expect a Proposal from  EU Commission".

    + "And then, we have also the Country per Country Reporting", which was also referred to when we (EU Parliament) were dealing with anoher Report". etc. Now the CPCR is a Tool to Avoir any Profit Shifting : It's an Essential Tool to Combat Tax Evasion inside the EU as well as elsewhere", Schein pointed out.

    - In fact, "we Decided to produce this Report inside the DEVE (Development) Committee, because we believed that this Challenge should be brought in Mind within the EU and Outsides as well, since all you have to do in order to Move Substantial Amounts of Capital, is just to "Click a Mouse", and there is No point in Thinking that you might Deal with Tax Evasion, only at National level, neither at European level".  So, we must move accross these lines".

    + In addition, "there is a Paragraph in this Resolution (just Adopted by EU Parliament), referring to Tax Heavens, and we also refer to a Black-List", she observed. "We suggest that this would apply also to Countries which are Not doing enough to Fight Tax Evasion, and this can Include also European Countries as well", Schein concluded in her Reply to "EuroFora"s Question.

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    + This was usefuly added to what she had Highlighted Earlier, when she had spoken specifically for Developing Countries, mainly asking from EU Commission "an Ambitious Action Plan",  with the necessary "Tools"  and "Technical Support", in order to "Help" those Countries "to Fight Tax Evasion" :

    - "The most Important : Ask for a UN Committee to be set up  at Global Level, with Participation of Developing Countries, as well as a Review of the Tax System, based on OECD's proposals", the EU Rapporteur had pointed out from the outset.

    - Moreover, "2 Tools need to be Focused here :"

    - First of all, "the so called Country by Country Reporting, which Asks from all MultiNational Compagnies, in all Sectors, to Annualy Draft a Report, with Complete,, Exhaustive Information", about, f.ex., "How much they Pay in Tax, what their Profits are, Where they are Based, what's the Core of their Business, how Many People are Employed, (etc) : It's a Fundamental Tool in order to Help Fight Tax Evasion - Tax Avoidance", Schlein underlined, (Comp. Supra, also for EU Countries, in Reply to "EuroFora"s Question).

     - Naturaly, "we also set up a Period of Transition, because, of course, Not all Developing Countries have the Necessary Capacity and Infrastructire to provide that Information on a regular base", she acknowledged.

     + "There is also a Problem of Tax Agreements, which don't allow for an Equal Treatment in Source Countries and in Resident Countries, and the UN as well as OECD have been looking at it , but we have to make sure that se are using the same Concepts and Model".

    - Last, but not least, we have to  "make sure to Fight Tax Havens, including with Sanctions for those who use them, (such as a Black List, etc), Schlein had concluded also in the general presentation of the proposed measures.