European Commission

Today, the European Commission presented its Tax Omnibus proposal to simplify tax rules and reduce bureaucracy across the EU. In response, Oxfam Tax Policy Expert, Julien Desiderio said: “Simplification is the European Commission’s latest euphemism for deregulation. At a time of record corporate profits and exploding inequality, after decades of a race to the bottom on effective corporate tax rates, the obvious response would be to ensure those who have gained the most contribute more. 

You are meeting in Brussels, on 20 & 21 March, and are expected to discuss new ways to raise EU own resources. The European Union faces an investment crisis. Mario Draghi’s landmark competitiveness report has called for significantly more public and private investment, urging the EU to invest an additional €800 billion per year. He stressed that the EU must match post-World War II investment levels, warning that otherwise Europe risks compromising its welfare, environment and global standard.

Today, European finance ministers updated the EU tax haven list. They added Brunei Darussalam and removed Costa Rica and Curaçao from the greylist. There were no changes to the blacklist. 

Today, the European Commission published their “Communication on business taxation for the 21st century”. The plan takes steps to ensure fair and effective taxation, to simplify tax rules for companies and to establish a longer-term business taxation framework.

Unfair, incoherent and duplicit EU trade policies in North Africa have contributed to job losses, brain drains and overwhelmingly negative impacts on those who can least afford it, an Oxfam analysis released today has found.

The weak EU tax haven blacklist is undermining attempts to stop government bailouts going to corporate tax dodgers, said Oxfam, ahead of the publication of a revised EU blacklist tomorrow, 6 October.

The new Commission proposals on migration and asylum will likely replicate the abhorrent situation we have been witnessing for years in the Greek EU refugee ‘hotspots’, said Oxfam today.

The European Commission should trigger an infringement procedure against Greece for its systematic breach of EU law in its treatment of people seeking asylum in Europe, a coalition of human rights groups said in a legal complaint filed today, just a day before the Commission will release a new European pact on asylum and migration.

The first case of the new coronavirus in Greece’s biggest refugee camp highlights the need for immediate and radical changes from the Greek government and its EU partners to the reception of people seeking asylum in Europe.

The only way to avoid the pandemic devastating lives and livelihoods at an untold scale is for rich countries to mobilise all available resources, said Oxfam in response to a new European Commission plan outlining how the EU will support developing countries in the face of COVID-19.