Fiscal Affairs Committee
Chairman: Mr Ron Nikken
Adviser: Mr Patrice Pellegrino
Assistant: Ms Maureen DeCroos
"Tax policy can contribute to the efficiency of our economies and to the competitiveness of our companies,
notably by simplifying the tax environment and creating a level playing field for businesses"
Commissioner Kovács, "Tackling VAT fraud: possible ways forward" conference,
Brussels, 29th March 2007
Taxation remains a sensitive issue for national governments, yet the fact is that for the internal market to succeed, a certain level of harmonisation and enforcement of fiscal rules is necessary. Commerce requires a free, competitive internal market and therefore we support any initiative aimed at combating fraud and cutting red tape. The administrative burden involved in coping with different national fiscal systems unnecessarily increases costs on companies, in particular those operating cross-border.
However, given the sensitivity of this issue and the need for unanimous decision on taxation matters, progress is slow. In 2009, again, there were few concrete developments although some useful proposals from the Commission are still under consideration.
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