In recent years, fight tax evasions and tax avoidance has become a priority of the European Commission, and encouraged by various leaks and sensational cases, public pressure to efficiently close loopholes has been unprecedented. Strong feelings of growing injustice and unfair taxation policies have added fuel to the debate. The CESI@noon gave insights into the work of politicians, practitioners, civil servants and trade unions in tax leaks and state aid cases, inquiring into questions such as:

• How is tax avoidance related to state aid control and why do competition enforcers suddenly become involved in tax matters, normally under the competence of the Member States?
• What is the main finding in the recent decisions of the European Commission and where are the limits?
• What are the key experiences and demands to further proceed? What are the fundamentals interests at stake?
• How does state aid control dovetail with the legislative agenda?
• Which administrative elements need further strengthening?
• Is there an honest societal and political consensus to efficiently fight tax avoidance at EU level?

Beyond CESI President Romain Wolff and Secretary General Klaus Heeger, speakers included Max Lienemeyer (Head of Unit ‘Tax Planning and Practices at the European Commission), Florian Köbler (President of the Union of Finance Personnel in Europe/UFE), Nadja Salson (Policy Staff at the European Public Service Union/EPSU) and Urs Stauffer (President of the Swiss Central Federation for Public Service Employees/ZV. The event was moderated by Fabian Zuleeg, CEO of the Brussels-based think tank European Policy Centre (EPC).

A video clip summing up the main points of the event is available on CESI’s Youtube channel.