Brussels, 21/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - EU economy and finance ministers met in Luxembourg on Friday 21 June, where they adopted without political-level debate an important package of measures to tackle VAT fraud (see EUROPE 10870), namely two Council directives amending the VAT directive (2006/112/EC). One introduces a rapid reaction mechanism (RRM) that allows member states to react to sudden, large-scale VAT fraud by applying immediate self-assessment measures, once approved by the Commission (see below), and another allowing the member states to apply an optional, temporary self-assessment measure whereby the beneficiary of goods and services is liable for the VAT rather than the supplier. This would make it possible in certain cases to not apply the usual VAT rules, which are often too cumbersome to be able to properly tackle carrousel fraud where the same goods are sold on several times in a short period of time by fictional companies that reclaim the VAT for each stage of the sale. Formal adoption of the package is expected in the next few weeks. EU Taxation Commissioner Algirdas Semeta said that adoption of the package was a “major result” in tackling VAT fraud. (FG/transl.fl)