Brussels, 24/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - Commissioner Frits Bolkestein is to present a communication on corporate tax to the Ecofin Council on Tuesday. The communication was adopted on Monday evening by the Commission (written procedure). The Commission proposes to set up a pilot scheme that would allow taxation to be imposed on profits from pan-European activities of small and medium-sized enterprises according to the tax base of their State of residence. This system would be the subject of a recommendation in 2004. The Commissioner also announces a plan of action to prepare a "common tax base" for companies in Member States on the basis of international accounting standards that would become compulsory for European companies quoted on the stock exchange as of 2005. A group of experts is to be established to reflect upon the issue. These proposals will be the focus of the Conference on Corporate Taxation organised on 5 and 6 December in Rome by the Italian Presidency. The text will be followed before the end of the year by a communication analysing the consequences of the Court of Justice's jurisprudence on corporate tax. At the end of 2004 or early 2005, the Commission will present a legal analysis devoted more precisely to problems linked to bilateral treaties on double taxation. It also announces the launch of consultation, which will prepare, for end 2004 early 2005, a new initiative concerning the taxation of losses transferred between the subsidiaries of a pan-European company.