Brussels, 19/05/2005 (Agence Europe) -During its plenary session of 13 May (EUROPE 8943), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) heard an intervention by Laszo Kovacs, Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, on the theme “EU tax policy: a forward-looking plan”. The Commission said he hoped to be supported by the fiscal expertise of Committee members to make EU taxation policy move forward, and undertook to attend the Committee on a regular basis to establish a more structured dialogue. He also invited the Committee to draw up an exploratory opinion on a common corporate tax base, which he feels is a priority, saying that the application of a single rule for the whole of the EU would allow companies to prevent double taxation and reduce costs, and would thus contribute to achieving the EU's strategic objectives on growth and job creation. Mr Kovacs hoped to move forward towards simplification and modernising of VAT rules and presented the Commission's projects in other fields of tax policy aimed at improving the way the internal market functions (excise on alcohol, taxation of private cars, cooperation of Member States against fraud). During the plenary, the Committee adopted the opinion by Umberto Burani (Employers Group, Italy) on simplifying and modernising taxpayers' VAT obligations, marking agreement with the Commission's proposal of October 2004 to set up a one stop shop system to simplify VAT obligations. The system would allow a single VAT number to be used for all operations conducted in the EU and VAT declarations to be submitted on a single electronic portal. The Committee, however, makes the success of the project subject to harmonisation of tax rates between Member States.
The Committee also adopted an exploratory opinion on financial perspectives 2007-2013, developed at the request of the Luxembourg presidency by Ulla Sirkeinen (Employers Group, Finland). According to the rapporteur, it is first of all necessary for the EU's financial perspectives to reflect the aim of sustainable development, which appears in the new budgetary structure recommended by the Commission. “General speaking, a budgetary position is not, in itself, either sustainable or unsustainable”, Ms Sirkeinen commented, stressing the need to restructure spending in favour of priority objectives linked to sustainable development and the Lisbon strategy, whatever the definitive volume of budgetary resources to be fixed by the European Council on 16 and 17 June. Secondly, the Committee calls on the Commission to cease attributing aid to activities that run counter to the aims of sustainable development. The impact analysis appears as the essential tool to ensure that the EU's action is not detrimental to sustainable development when choosing projects that deserve financing, according to clear and transparent criteria, and which integrate the parameters of sustainability. Finally, the Commission hopes adequate resources will be allocated to knowledge, research and development and new technologies.