Not surprisingly, the Commission's communication proposing a gradual lifting of the unanimous vote on tax issues by 2025 (see EUROPE 12172) generated little enthusiasm from European finance ministers at the Ecofin Council meeting on Tuesday 12 February.
“Views diverge clearly,” the European Commission and the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU confirmed in turn at the end of the meeting.
According to our information, the discussions held behind closed doors revealed three groups of countries. A first group, composed of France and Spain, which strongly supports the Commission's proposal, followed by a second group of countries that are “open” to discussion, but to varying degrees.
Finland, Denmark or Austria, for example, are reportedly open to considering the transition to qualified majority voting on consensual administrative cooperation issues, while other countries such as Germany, Greece, Belgium or Portugal would be ready to go a little further.
The uproar comes from: Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. These countries point to an already very positive record in recent years of fiscal progress in the Council, even under the unanimity rule.
"Why is there unanimity in tax issues? Because it’s the core of sovereignty of countries that’s at stake”, said Luxembourg Minister Pierre Gramegna on his arrival at the meeting.
For the Maltese Minister, Edward Scicluna, it is not only a question of sovereignty, but also a question of "force when you lack conviction", to the detriment of small Member States.
While some countries believe that the timing of the Commission's communication is not really appropriate due to the upcoming European elections, the European Commissioner for Taxation, Pierre Moscovici, has admitted that the blow has been calculated.
"I wanted this debate to take place now, it is a very political debate, present in the campaign for European elections for all parties”, he said.
And to specify: “I know very well that if I had started introducing this at the beginning of the mandate, it would have been gently buried in an 'Ecofin' discussion and would not have been discussed again.” For him, with the European elections, the debate can no longer be avoided.
The Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU promised that the subject would not be buried immediately and that a new discussion would be planned, without however announcing a date. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)