In a letter dated 2 May to MEP Sophie in't Veld (ALDE), the European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Pierre Moscovici, once again ruled out the possibility of an agreement between the EU and the United States over FATCA (US Foreign Tax Compliance Act), which aims to combat tax evasion.
Sophie in't Veld wrote to him on 5 April to remind him that MEPs had called for such an agreement in a resolution adopted in July 2018 to address the harmful effects of the US law on “accidental Americans” (see EUROPE 12056/7), who, by accident of birth, inherited US citizenship, yet have no connection with the United States and are in fact EU citizens.
In his letter, however, the Commissioner states that it is out of his hands. He says he is “open”, but believes that it would not be useful to formally request a negotiating mandate from the Council of the EU because “to date, there is no sign that Member States would support such an action”.
Before agreements were reached between the US and the EU member states, the Commission initiated informal contacts with regard to a possible EU agreement with the US but Member States preferred to go ahead with bilateral agreements, he noted.
The Commission is also still waiting for evidence to be provided about the number of European citizens who genuinely have never had links with the US, for example, have never lived there as adults, never applied for a US passport, never used their US citizenship to work, study, travel, do business or purchase property in the US, he said.
The answer is far from being satisfactory for Sophie in't Veld. On Twitter, she shared her interpretation of the Commissioner's position: “The European Commission will not do nothing for you. We actually don’t even believe you exist. You’re probably tax evaders anyway!” (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)