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Brussels,
09.09.2004
European
fiscal coordination
EUCDW
demands from EU Finance Ministers
Decisions
Fritz Bolkestein is certainly right in this respect: 25 different
fiscal systems with different assessment strategies unnecessarily consume
vast amounts of time and money, eroding the competitiveness of the European
economy in the process. This is why it is high time for the EU finance
ministers to agree concrete steps towards real progress in this matter
(for instance, at their meeting on September 10/11 in Scheveningen).
One of the most
severe shortcomings in European politics is the lack of a common tax
policy. If the European political project is to achieve full maturity,
Europe will have to treat this area with a higher priority. Different
levels of taxation (corporate taxes, social charges etc.) are an important
weapon of competition within the European Union. Corporations certainly
take their tax status into consideration when they decide in favour
and against certain operating sites. This is why it is so important
to coordinate tax policies between the individual member states. Taxation
policy and the funding of social security systems are closely interlinked
- changes in one area have an impact on the other. In principle, therefore,
they must be subject to the same voting procedure (i.e. unanimous or
qualified majority voting).
We furthermore
support the introduction of European taxing powers (European taxes).
This will allow the creation of European incomes that can then be distributed
for a policy of solidarity and social objectives.
The EUCDW in particular
demands the following elements:
- Fiscal implementation
orders shall be subject to majority voting decisions, provided they
do not adversely affect the funding of the EU member states' social
security systems.
- The European
tax policy must raise taxes in compliance with the progression principle
(in other words: Identical things must be treated identically and
different things differently.)
- The tax burden
shall be shifted from labour to capital (the issues to be raised in
this context would include the question of a capital tax , a European
property tax, but also non-progressive consumer taxes such as taxes
for environmental pollution (for instance, a European energy tax)
and conspicuous consumption). At any rate, certain allowances will
have to be provided for savings (also with a view to private retirement
provisions) and inheritances. It must also be ensured that such a
capital tax will not jeopardize the existence of small- and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) and the jobs they provide.
- The state must
not impose more taxes than absolutely necessary. What we need is a
social consensus about the tasks of the state (taking into account
price stability, growth and employment). Tax policies are an instrument
to ensure the state's capability of meeting its responsibilities (tax
policies are subordinate to and follow the definition of state responsibilities,
not the other way round).
The
European Union of Christian Democratic Workers (EUCDW) consists of 23
workers' organisations from 15 countries and is an association of the
European People's Party (EPP).
responsible: Elmar Brok MEP, President.
EUCDW
European Union of Christian Democratic Workers
c/o EPP,
Rue du Commerce / Handelsstraat 10
B-1000 Brussels
E-mail: EUCDW
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