Hearing in EP TAXE Committee: CESI expert speaks on the role of tax administrations in fighting tax avoidance

During yesterday’s stakeholder hearing in the European Parliament’s TAXE Committee on tax rulings and the role of tax administrations in fighting tax avoidance, CESI was represented by François Goris, President of its member organisation UNSP-NUOD. CESI represents several national tax administration trade unions in Brussels.

During the hearing, Mr Goris underscored the key demands of CESI in the field of tax justice and tax avoidance:

  • The publication of all tax rulings and a ban on rulings in connection with tax havens. This would to increase transparency in the area and facilitate the work of tax inspectors, thereby minimising the risk of politically biased, unfair tax advantages for some actors.
  • An increase in the number of tax inspectors (instead of austerity-induced counterproductive staff cuts) and a better harmonised cooperation among them across the Member States. More tax inspectors and a better cooperation across Member States naturally translate into more control over dubious tax practices.

A video of the intervention and following debate can be accessed here.

As regards tax justice and effective tax control, CESI’s Trade Council ‘Central Administration and Finances’ is currently also working on a resolution sketching out recommendations for fair and effective taxation systems in Europe. The resolution will be adopted and publicly made available in May this year.