03/06/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 3 June, the ambassadors of the Member States to the EU (Coreper) reached a political agreement in principle on the proposal for a Council of the EU directive amending the 2011 directive on administrative cooperation, in order to defer deadlines for submitting and exchanging tax information, a process that has been made more difficult by the Covid-19 pandemic (see EUROPE 12483/7). The compromise text moves the deadlines proposed by the Commission back by three months on each occasion, resulting in a deferral of six months when compared with the deadlines set out in the 2011 directive (see EUROPE 12496/13). The text retains the option to extend the proposed periods just once and for a maximum of three additional months, but proposes that the period should be extended by a unanimous implementing decision in the Council of the EU. The Council of the EU's position will be formally adopted by written procedure. The European Parliament, which has to deliver an opinion before 30 June, will discuss the text and the procedure it will follow on 9 June. (MF)