Greens / Efa Priority

Tax Justice

Tax avoidance is a threat to our democracy. Since the Luxleaks scandal, the Greens pushed hard for change and got the European Parliament to support tax transparency. But the fight continues.

Andrej Babiš
Andrej Babiš © Martin Strachoň (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Parliament to debate EU subsidies and potential conflicts of interest - quote from Mikuláš Peksa MEP

Czech PM Babiš

The European Parliament debates the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and the reopening of a criminal investigation into his company's use of EU subsidies and potential conflicts of interest.

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Green investment
© Yury Kuzmin

Taxonomy deal not agreed today by Member States

Sustainable Finance

The same day the Commission came forward with the "European Green Deal", Member States have not passed the Taxonomy deal agreed last Thursday. Member States will have another opportunity to revisit the deal on Monday.

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Commission audit finds conflict of interest with Czech PM's companies

Andrej Babiš

The leaked report clearly states Andrej Babiš controls the Agrofert group and that contracts awarded to his companies are in breach of Czech and EU law. The Commission audit has found that around €11 million will need to be returned as a result of Andrej Babiš' conflict of interest.

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strasbourg building ep
© European Union 2015 - Source EP

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 25-28 November 2019

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the votes on climate emergency and the Climate Summit in Madrid (COP25), the new European Commission, the votes on the 2020 Budget, public country-by-country reporting, combatting gender-based violence, and an EP Mission to Malta following recent revelations around the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

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Justus Lipsius EU Council
JLogan (CC BY-SA 3.0)

EU Ministers fail to agree corporate transparency measures

Quote from Ernest Urtasun MEP

EU Ministers failed to agree on Thursday 28 November, on proposals for greater corporate transparency. The proposals, which have been on the table for over three years, for public country-by-country reporting would ensure more transparency around the profits earned and taxes paid by large multinational companies.

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Daphne

European Parliament to send mission to Malta after the revelations around the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Quote from Sven Giegold MEP

The priority of the Parliament mission must be to investigate all potential links to the Prime Minister who has protected and defended three ministers for so long. Malta must adhere to the rule of law and European values so that there can be justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia and her family.

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Office of the Prime Minister of Malta
Frank Vincentz (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Maltese Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri resigns

Quote from Sven Giegold MEP

Keith Schembri the Chief of Staff of the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, has resigned following the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech last week in connection with the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Fenech owns the company 17 Black, which appeared in the 'Panama Papers' with connections to Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi.

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Hemicycle European Parliament Strasbourg
European Union

What's coming up this week

Greens/EFA priorities - plenary session 25-29 November 2019

A look ahead to the plenary session in the European Parliament in Strasbourg and the Greens/EFA priority issues on the agenda

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MORE TRANSPARENCY TO FIGHT TAX AVOIDANCE

Help us sending a clear signal!

The responsible ministers of the EU countries will discuss the proposal in their meeting of 28 November. Send them a clear message: Ask them to stop blocking corporate transparency and tax justice!

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pay your tax written on window ©the-new-york-public-library

EU Member States continue to block progress on tax transparency

Tax Transparency

EU Member States continued to block public tax transparency of large companies. At the meeting of the relevant Council Working Party on Company Law, representatives of the national governments were unable to agree on a common position on the Commission proposal for public country-by-country reporting.

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European flags
© Photo European Parliament

Greens/EFA Debriefing

Plenary week, 21-24 October 2019

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the votes on the EU budget 2020, the search and sea rescue in the Mediterranean, the Turkish military operation in Northeast Syria, the public country-by-country reporting, pesticides and bees, the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania,...

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EFA tax justice v1.9 EN screen

EU Member States must stop blocking action on tax transparency

Tax

Members of the European Parliament voted on a resolution calling on Member States to make progress on measures designed to improve tax transparency for multinationals. In the five years since the LuxLeaks scandal, which showed the extent of multinational tax avoidance, EU Member States have blocked a European Commission proposal on public country-by-country reporting (CbCR) from April 2016. The German government, together with a handful of EU tax havens, have blocked action.

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