15 Apr
Chapter News, News

President Barroso calls for a global approach against tax evasion and fraud at UN Meeting


Speaking at the UN General Assembly High Level Debate on Global Economic Governance today, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said that tax evasion costs the European Union 1 trillion euros every year and “the global bill is much higher. That is money that should be available to spend on education, skills, healthcare, and infrastructure investment in both developed and developing countries.” 

President Barroso stressed that the EU is taking common action on exchange of information, on tax havens and on aggressive tax planning.
“But as we know, tax avoiders are adept at taking advantage of gaps and loopholes in the different tax regimes around the world,” he said. “So we are convinced that there is a need for a global approach to improve tax governance everywhere. Tax havens are indeed heavens for tax evaders and fraudsters, but they are hell for the law abiding citizen and responsible tax-payer.”

“Greater co-operation and co-ordination between nations is no longer just the responsible choice.  Today it is essential for managing our shared global challenges and optimising the opportunities that interdependence offers.”

“Time and again practical cooperation has led to political integration; shared problems have led to shared solutions; small steps for Member States have been giant leaps for Europe as a whole.”

“The G20 will be judged by how its members stick to agreed commitments. Past commitments need to be respected, unfulfilled commitments need to be addressed, and new commitments on new challenges need to be agreed.”

“The European Union is working to ensure greater fairness within the European economy but also globally. Let’s take one example: tax evasion. It costs the EU €1 trillion every year. The global bill is much higher. That is money that should be available to spend on education, skills, healthcare, and infrastructure investment in both developed and developing countries.”

“Finally and most importantly, we need multilateral structures that can manage our interdependence and today’s multi-polarity. It is essential that our citizens feel they are part of this debate.”

The full speech is now available: SPEECH/13/321