Reforms too little to avert the next crisis

Eurozone

Eurozone finance ministers have emerged from an overnight meeting with proposals for reforms of the single currency. The proposals agreed to include a Eurozone budget. However, these reforms do not go far enough to prevent the next crisis, according to the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament.

European Parliament condemns 'Cum Ex' tax fraud and demands EU-wide investigation

Tax fraud

“The perpetrators behind these schemes must be brought to justice and complicit banks must be held to account for facilitating these crimes. The silence and inaction of the Member States and their Finance Ministers is shocking", commented Sven Giegold, Greens/EFA spokesperson on economics and finance.

MEPs reject tougher fiscal rules that would ensure more austerity

Fiscal Compact

The Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs in the European Parliament has rejected a report from the European Commission that would help enshrine austerity policies into law.

New Greens/EFA report shows urgent need for EU to close loopholes for tax evasion

Tax

A new report by the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament shows that, despite progress in recent years on closing down opportunities for tax evasion, there are significant loopholes for citizens and multinationals to evade paying taxes where they are based.

New powers urgently needed to tackle money laundering in EU

Money laundering

The European Parliament will debate, on an initiative of the Greens/EFA group, the risks of money laundering in the EU banking sector following on from major multi-billion euro scandals in large European banks. The ongoing case of Danske Bank in Denmark and Estonia, as well recent cases with ING in the Netherlands, Pilatus Bank in Malta and ABVL Bank in Latvia, show that the current enforcement of EU anti-money laundering rules are insufficient.

Austria

Open for shady money

Tax loopholes, the sale of passports to dubious figures and inaction against money laundering makes Austria a safe haven for tax evaders, kleptocrats and corrupt cash according to a new report from the Greens/EFA group. The study "Austria - (still) open for shady money" released at the beginning of the Austrian Presidency of the EU shows that while Austria has made some progress on issues of financial secrecy in recent years, the country remains an attractive destination for dirty money.

Quote from Molly Scott Cato

Luxembourg/Engie ruling

Greens/EFA tax and competition spokesperson Molly Scott Cato comments on the European Commission's decision that Luxembourg gave illegal tax benefits to Engie.

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 11-14 June 2018

Greens/EFA priorities for the Strasbourg Plenary week included: Multiannual Financial Framework; Brexit; Iran nuclear deal; Netherlands PM Mark Rutte on the Future of Europe; Poland: independence of the judiciary; Renewable Energy Directive; Circular economy at the heart of cohesion policy; Tax justice: transparency of big companies; FIFA: Play Fair – Fight for the forgotten; Climate change photo exhibition.

European Commission cannot have carte blanche on foreign affairs priorities

EU foreign policy

The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament has today expressed strong concerns about the European Commission's proposals to bundle multiple peace-building, defence and security policies under one budget line.

The Greens/EFA Co-Presidents' briefing

12.06.2018

LIVE press conference 12 June 2018 10:30-10:50

Greens/EFA co-presidents Ska Keller and Philippe Lamberts present the key issues of the plenary session and of the European agenda for the Greens/EFA group

We demand tax justice

Each year, big corporations dodge between €50 - €70 billion in the EU. But there's a solution! This week, EU governments can take the decision to demand real tax transparency and make multinationals publish data on where they generate their profits and where they pay tax.

What's coming up in Parliament

Strasbourg Flash - Plenary session 11-14 June 2018

A look ahead to next week's session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda