European Commission – Press release Brussels, 27 October 2011 – The Commission has decided to refer Ireland to the EU’s Court of Justice for failing to correctly implement EU rules on excise duties on fuel….
EU Customs Union
Taxation: The European Commission requests Bulgaria to amend its VAT rules
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 27 October 2011 – The European Commission has officially requested Bulgaria to amend its legislation on value added tax (VAT). The rules in Bulgaria on the conditions for refunding VAT to taxable persons …
Taxation: Commission requests Italy to implement EU VAT rules
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 27 October 2011 – The European Commission has formally requested Italy to comply with EU legislation and to adopt and inform the Commission of national measures to implement EU rules on the common system …
EU law: Commission acts to ensure that European legislation is fully and properly implemented
MEMO/11/739 Brussels, 27 October 2011 BUDGET EMPLOYMENT ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENT HOME AFFAIRS DIGITAL AGENDA JUSTICE INTERNAL MARKET TRANSPORT HEALTH & CONSUMERS TAX & CUSTOMS AT 1246 1283 BE 1264 1282 1252 BG 1276 CY 1277 CZ 1245 DE 1247 1248 1283 DK 12…
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud "Competitive Tax Policy and Tax Competition in the EU" 2nd Taxation Forum of Diario Economico/OTOC
SPEECH/11/712 Porto, 27 October 2011 Ladies and gentlemen, I am honoured to have been invited to address this distinguished audience today. We live in turbulent and uncertain times. The financial and economic crisis requires leadership and inventive ac…
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Reaching a level playing field for taxation across Europe Debate on Taxation in European Parliament Plenary Strasbourg, 25 October 2011
SPEECH/11/709 Chair, Honourable Members, I would like to thank the European Parliament, and in particular Sven Giegold and Sharon Bowles for the report on the proposal to recast the so-called Parent-Subsidiary taxation Directive and the oral question….
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud "Customs cooperation at the Eastern borders" High-level seminar on customs cooperation in the EU Eastern neighbourhood
SPEECH/11/694 Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, The Polish presidency of the EU kindly invited me to address this high-level seminar on customs cooperation in the EU Eastern neighbourhood; I found it a welcome opportunity to follow up on our common …
Questions and Answers: OLAF’s 2011 Annual Operational Report
MEMO/11/714 Brussels, 19 October 2011 What does the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) do? The mission of OLAF is to protect the financial interests of the EU, to fight fraud, corruption and any other irregular activity affecting the EU budget, includin…
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud "EU tax policy in support of the EU 2020 Growth Strategy" The FEE Tax Day 2011 Brussels, 11 October 2011
SPEECH/11/650 Ladies and Gentlemen, Honourable guests, I am honoured to be invited here today to present to you the European Commission’s policy and my main projects in the taxation area. The current economic situation and the challenges European Mem…
2011 Report ‘Tax reforms in EU Member States’: EU Member States face challenges in tax policies
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 10 October 2011 – The consequences of the financial and economic crisis are deeply reflected in Member States’ government revenues. Having implemented a wide range of tax stimulus measures from 2008 to 2010…
Fight against Fraud: Commission publishes Annual Report
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 29 September 2011 – Today the European Commission published its Annual Report on the Protection of the EU’s Financial Interests and the Fight against Fraud in 2010….
Questions and Answers: The protection of EU financial interests and the fight against fraud
MEMO/11/649 Brussels, 29 September 2011 How does the Commission compile this annual report? This Report is compiled mainly using data and information submitted by the Member States. The remaining part of the information comes from data collected by Com…
Questions and Answers: The protection of EU financial interests and the fight against fraud
MEMO/11/649 Brussels, 29 September 2011 How does the Commission compile this annual report? This Report is compiled mainly using data and information submitted by the Member States. The remaining part of the information comes from data collected by Com…
Taxation: Commission requests The Netherlands to modify rules on VAT treatment of participation in supervisory boards
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 29 September 2011 – The European Commission has today formally requested The Netherlands to modify its rules on the treatment of members of supervisory boards for VAT purposes so as to make the rules comply…
Taxation: Commission requests Germany to amend discriminatory tax rules on hidden reserves
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 29 September 2011 – The European Commission has formally requested Germany to amend its tax legislation on hidden reserves so as to no longer discriminate certain cross border operations….
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-Fraud and Audit Towards a financial transaction tax in Europe and the world Press conference on common rules for a financial transaction tax, 28 September 2011 Strasbourg, 28 September 2011
SPEECH/11/611 Ladies and Gentlemen, Today, the Commission proposed to set up a financial transaction tax in the Single market. Many are awaiting this tax, for a long time now. 65% of European Citizens are in favour of this tax….
Financial Transaction Tax: Making the financial sector pay its fair share
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 28 September 2011 – Today the Commission has presented a proposal for a financial transaction tax in the 27 Member States of the European Union. The tax would be levied on all transactions on financial in…
Common Rules for a Financial Transaction Tax – Frequently Asked Questions
MEMO/11/640 Brussels, 28 September 2011 (see also IP/11/1085 ) 1. General background Why has the Commission proposed a new tax on the financial sector? For two main reasons: the financial sector would make a fair contribution to the cost of the crisis …
Detention of counterfeit and pirated goods at EU borders in 2010 – Frequently Asked Questions
MEMO/11/506 Brussels, 14 July 2011 What is this report about? This report contains statistics on actions by customs in the EU relating to goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights (IPR)….
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud "Customs enforces Intellectual Property Rights to protect consumers and businesses in Europe"
SPEECH/11/522 Intellectual property rights or IPR represent core assets for citizens and companies. A strong level of protection is therefore fundamental. Effective enforcement of goods in trade is a critical component for a strong system of IPR….
Fight against fakes: Increased customs actions boost protection of intellectual property rights
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 14 July 2011 – In 2010, EU Customs seized more than 103 million products suspected of violating intellectual property rights (IPR) at the EU’s external borders….
Europe strikes against the trafficking of counterfeit goods
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 27 June – more than 28.000 pieces/pairs of counterfeit textile products and accessories entering the EU by road via its Eastern border have been confiscated as a result of joint Customs operation (JCO) „F…
Commission steps up its efforts in fighting fraud against the EU budget
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 24 June – In 2009 alone, Member States reported €280 million in suspected fraud cases involving EU funds. Although this represents less than 0.2% of the EU’s total budget, the Commission is determined t…
Frequently Asked Questions: Commission’s Anti-Fraud Strategy
MEMO/11/454 Brussels, 24 June 2011 ANTI-FRAUD STRATEGY What is the Commission’s Anti-Fraud Strategy (CAFS)? The Commission’s Anti-Fraud Strategy is a document adopted today by the Commission. It aims to updating and modernising the way fraud against th…
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud Shared transatlantic customs and tax ambitions AMCHAM PLENARY LUNCHEON Brussels, 21st June 2011
SPEECH/11/458 Ladies and Gentlemen, The last time I participated in an AmCham event, in September last year, I outlined the „Priorities and Challenges of an Evolving Customs Union”. Today, I would like to thank AmCham for inviting me to speak about cus…
Algirdas Šemeta EU Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud "Transparency, competitiveness and innovative financing: Key Features of Taxation in the global governance" International Tax Conference Stockholm, 16 June 2011
SPEECH/11/442 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, It is a great honour to me to open this Conference on the effect on taxation of a „new world order”. Since 2009, the crisis has been a rude awakening but we are drawing the right lessons from it….
Taxation: Commission refers The Netherlands to Court over VAT rules for travel agents
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 16 June 2011 – The European Commission has today decided to refer The Netherlands to the EU’s Court of Justice for failing to properly implement EU VAT rules for travel agents….
Taxation: Commission requests Poland to amend discriminatory tax legislation for foreign investment and pension funds
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 16 June 2011 – The European Commission has formally requested Poland to amend its tax legislation which discriminates against investment funds and pension funds from other EU countries and countries of th…
Taxation: Commission requests Hungary to amend its VAT rules on open-end leases of passenger vehicles
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 16 June 2011 – The European Commission has formally requested Hungary to amend its VAT legislation which does not allow lessees to benefit from VAT deductions in open-end leases of passenger vehicles….
Taxation: Commission requests The Netherlands to amend discriminatory tax rules on fiscal unities
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 16 June 2011 – The European Commission has formally requested The Netherlands to amend its tax legislation on fiscal unities (i.e. calculation of income tax of a group of companies on a consolidated basis…
Taxation: Commission requests Estonia to amend discriminatory tax rules for non-resident investment funds
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 16 June 2011 – The European Commission has formally requested Estonia to amend its tax legislation as it discriminates against non-resident investment funds….
Budget: Commission to take Portugal to Court over overdue customs duties payment
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 16 June 2011 – The European Commission has decided today to refer Portugal to the EU Court of Justice because of its failure to collect and transfer to the EU budget a payment linked to customs duties….