Following a plenary vote which saw a majority of MEPs give their green light to fighting tax evasion, GUE/NGL MEP Thomas Händel commented on the two reports:

“The first of the two reports (Kleva Kekuš) was met with majority approval. It is a major step forward and a strong signal to Council. We need stringent criteria to fight tax evasion. We need heavy penalties and effective sanctions. If states refuse to pass on information they will be blacklisted and will receive no subsidies or help from the EU. Transactions in tax havens will be taxed and tax aggressiveness will be tackled.”

He continued: “However, the second report (Gáll Pelcz) does not meet our requirements. We want a different tax policy that is not to the detriment of the most disadvantaged.”

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:
Emily Macintosh +32 470 85 05 08
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20
[email protected]
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