Merci Pier Carlo.
J'ai été très content d'être de participer à
cette réunion du Conseil ECOFIN, pour la première fois en tant que
commissaire européen aux affaires économiques et financières, à la
fiscalité et aux douanes.
L'enjeu est connu. Il est essentiel,
pour que nous puissions avancer de manière efficace et ambitieuse pour
faire face aux défis qui sont devant nous – relancer la croissance et
l'emploi à travers plus de compétitivité, plus d'investissement, des
reformes plus ambitieuses et des politiques budgétaires crédibles – il
est indispensable que la Commission et le Conseil, ainsi que le
Parlement européen, travaillent ensemble de façon étroite, mais aussi
ouverte et constructive.
Concerning the issues that we have
discussed today, I first want to welcome the important progress that has
been made, also thanks to the Italian Presidency, towards an agreement
on our proposed revision of the Parent Subsidiary Directive.
I would of course have liked us to reach an agreement already today,
but I understand and I feel that we are now well-placed to reach a
definitive agreement at the ECOFIN meeting in December. Especially in
the current context, that we all know, there is no time to waste in
reducing any opportunities for abusive practices and aggressive tax
planning. Also I observed a new spirit, in order to fight these
practices of tax fraud, tax evasion, tax base erosion and to go on
fighting bank secrecy and to move towards an automatic exchange of
information as a global standard as by 2016. The European Union and the
Commission want Europe to be in the lead, to become an example for these
matters.
In this context I want to highlight the important work of the G20 on base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS),
which will be taken forward at the Summit in Brisbane next week, to
which I will accompany President Juncker. We need to work hard to
finalise this work in 2015.
On our proposal for a Standard VAT return,...
the objective of which is to make life easier for businesses operating
in the Single Market, I am disappointed at the continued lack of
progress.
We face global economic challenges, we should not miss
any opportunity to foster growth. And this is just such an opportunity:
to ease the burden on companies, to make it easier to access new
markets, as well as to improve tax compliance and increase public
revenues. So I call on our Member States not to let this opportunity
pass them by, because the ball is firmly in their court. And I also
really appreciate the efforts of the Italian Presidency in order to
progress on this simplification matter which is essential for
businesses.
On the Financial Transactions Tax,
The Commission is of course no longer in the lead on this file since
this is enhanced cooperation. Our role is active, we provide both
technical and political support to the Member States to take this
forward, and to support an FTT that is realistic but as ambitious as
possible.
I believe that good progress is now being made towards
an agreement by the end of the year, which would allow the FTT to enter
into force by the beginning of 2016.
Again the European Commission is available to play its role and to be part of the deal as a deal maker.
Avant de conclure, permettez-moi de dire aussi quelques mots sur la question du financement lié au climat.
Le
soutien public européen aux pays tiers dans ce domaine a atteint 9,6
milliards d'euros en 2013, ce qui est un record historique. L'UE est le
principal contributeur au Fonds vert pour le climat, les engagements
pris par les États membres de l'UE représentant environ 80% des annonces
déjà faites. Nous restons engagés à intensifier la mobilisation du
financement climatique pour lequel une tendance clairement à la hausse
existe, dans un contexte qui n'est pas le plus facile.
En outre,
le Conseil a présenté aujourd'hui la position de l'UE sur le financement
de l'Accord sur le Climat, que nous souhaitons ait lieu à Paris l'année
prochaine.
Donc, en résumé, l'UE envoie aujourd'hui un message
très positif qui marque notre engagement de rester à la tête de la lutte
mondiale contre le changement climatique.
