Meeting in Strasbourg, MEPs are expected to adopt a resolution on Thursday 24 October denouncing, for the umpteenth time, the deadlock in the EU Council on the proposal for country-by-country tax transparency (‘reporting’), which would require companies to make public certain accounting data such as their turnover, profits and taxes paid (see EUROPE 11530/1).
Supported by all of the European Parliament’s political groups with the exception of ID, the draft joint resolution, which is not expected to undergo major changes after the vote, calls on Member States to adopt their position “urgently” in order to start and finalise negotiations with Parliament as soon as possible. It asks the EU Council to put an end to the deadlock on the question of the legal basis (see EUROPE 12179/21) and to “respect the principle of sincere cooperation”.
The text also invites the Finnish Presidency to make this a priority and to restart work in the EU Council on the basis of the position adopted by Parliament at first reading (see EUROPE 12223/13), in order to allow the text to be examined by the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper).
MEPs point out that the compromise text, which is technically ready, has still not reached Coreper level despite 18 meetings of the working group and EU Council attachés.
The debate on this issue is timely, as the Finnish Presidency has committed to trying to make progress on this file. The proposal will also be discussed at the EU Council’s Working Party on Company Law on Friday 25 October (see EUROPE 12349/28).
All eyes are on Germany, whose change of position could unblock the negotiations, according to several observers. In September, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz announced that he had agreed with the other SPD government ministers to support this proposal (see EUROPE 12328/26).
In a statement on Monday 21 October, German MEP Sven Giegold (Greens/EFA) called on the Minister to assert himself within the German federal government and translate this announcement into action. “Together with the Finnish Council Presidency, Scholz must ensure that an agreement is reached by the end of the year”, he said.
In a debate on Tuesday evening, MEPs had the opportunity to convey this message directly to the EU Council and to test the Finnish Presidency’s real commitment to bringing this issue to a successful conclusion. See the draft resolution: http://bit.ly/2JdTpPS (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)