European Trade Union Committee for Education

On 16 June 2017, the ‘No to Tax Havens’ Campaign, started an online petition directed towards Members of the European Parliament, demanding that elected European officials take a clear stance against corporate tax avoidance across Europe in the upcoming report of the Enquiry Parliamentary Committee based on the Panama Papers.

The ‘No to Tax Havens’ Campaign is powered by a network of NGOs and trade unions, including ETUCE. It was launched in response to the Panama Papers, which unveiled the extend of tax avoidance in Europe, and its impact on European citizens. Indeed, the losses caused by tax tricks are estimated to as much as 237 billion euros. ETUCE believes that only by fighting corruption, tax fraud, evasion and avoidance governments across Europe will ensure to have sound public finances they need to invest in quality public education. ETUCE European Director Susan Flocken stated “it is high time to shift resources away from multinational companies’ private coffers to public investment needs. Education has paid the price of austerity for a long time now. It is time for our recovery, and we strongly support all calls to governments across Europe to do everything in their power to ensure they have adequate resources to invest in public high quality education”.

The newest online petition consists of an e-mail sent to Members of the European Parliament who are part of the EP Inquiry Committee on cases of tax evasion, providing MEPs arguments for advocating:

• The creation of an EU-wide Common Minimum Corporate Tax Rate
• The abolishment of the principle of unanimity in the Council concerning tax issues
• The tightening of rules on the tax haven black list
• The creation of a ban for actors from the financial sector to be directly or indirectly active in countries, which are included in the back lists as tax haven or money laundering country
• The implementation EU-wide coordinated liability and penal provisions for beneficiaries and agents of illegal tax constructions
• The creation of a ban of letterbox companies and other constructions, exceeding beyond the EU, which help to evade tax payments
• The reinforcement of the control on capital movement for transactions in and out of tax havens
• The implementation of measures at European level to drive forward the development of a worldwide register, in order to record the beneficial owners and beneficiaries of all companies and other legal corporate bodies such as trusts and foundations
• The publication of a legislative proposal, which should provide whistleblowers who expose tax avoidance, tax evasion and money laundering practices with protection

To get involved with the newest online petition of the ‘No to Tax Havens’ Campaign, please click here.

For additional information on the Campaign, please click here.