Strasbourg, 04/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Commissioner responsible for tax and the internal market, Frits Bolkestein, answered questions during the night session put to him by German Social-Democrat Christa Randzio-Plath, Chair of the EP's Economic and Monetary Committee, who especially wanted to know what initiatives the European Commission was considering taking to make membership of cross-border pension schemes a "reality in the internal market", and whether it intended proposing European legislation regarding the fiscal coordination of cross-border supplementary pension schemes. Ms. Randzio-Plath asked Mr. Bolkestein when, "exactly", the Commission's communication would reach Parliament and what this communication would serve if the Commission was unable to "set out principles" allowing for a "minimum of harmonisation, while avoiding tax discrimination".
The "process of the adoption of the communication is in progress, and this communication will demonstrate that the main obstacles to labour mobility and to cross-border pension schemes can be overcome without secondary legislation, by enforcing the Treaty rules that are already in place", Mr. Bolkestein replied. The member of the OVP, Othmar Karas, Parliament's rapporteur on the subject, stressed that the tax issue was "totally essential", but that so were social aspects, and, while acknowledging that it was up to Member States to set the rate of tax, considered that transferability of pensions and labour mobility would only be possible if Member States agreed on a certain number of common principles. "I just don't understand you, Mr. Commissioner, when you tell us that you can say nothing about the communication's content because it has not been adopted", exclaimed German Social-Democrat Wilfried Kuckelkorn, adding: "you announced it yourself for March, then for the beginning of April, then it was a question of Easter. So, when will it come?". British Liberal Democrat Chris Huhne also criticised the Commission, but for other reasons, hoping that it would adopt a "more energetically liberal attitude", notably by ridding the possibility, for some Member States, to continue to "apply restrictions", the advantages of which have never been proven.
The middle-way is the enemy of the good, Bolkestein told Karas, adding: "if we had to deal with all the aspects he suggests", "then Mr. Kuckelkorn would be even angrier with the Commission, as the delay would have been that much longer". According to the Commissioner, "it's a good thing that the conclusions of the European Council of Stockholm made mention that Member States now have the right to look into each others' affairs as far as pension funds are concerned, but the chances of securing unanimity within Council on an ambitious directive on fiscal aspects are similar to the prospects of a snowball in hell".