Call for creation of standing committee to investigate breaches in taxation

Members of Parliament’s Special Inquiry into Money Laundering (PANA) have called for the creation of a permanent standing committee to investigate wrongdoing in the field of taxation.

The announcement was made at the start of a public hearing on the Paradise Papers by Werner Langen, Chairman of Parliament’s Special Committee on Money laundering, Tax Avoidance and Evasion (PANA). Mr Langen said that before any decision could be made on a standing committee, in the interim, PANA members wanted a special inquiry to investigate the revelations of aggressive tax planning uncovered by the Paradise Papers.

Later, during the hearing, MEPs were joined by the Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Pierre Moscovici, who was questioned closely about the details of a new blacklist of tax havens. Mr Moscovici said he expects to publish and make public the list by next Tuesday.

You can listen to the video recording of interventions by clicking on the links below

Welcome by the PANA Chair Werner Langen

Panel I: Presentation with Investigative Journalists

Jan Strozyk (Norddeutscher Rundfunk/ NDR, Germany), Investigative Journalist and member of the Paradise-Papers team

Kristof Clerix (Knack magazine, Belgium), Investigative journalist and member of the Paradise Papers team

Simon Bowers (The Guardian, UK), Investigative journalist and member of the Paradise Papers team

Discussion with PANA Members

KOFOD, Jeppe (S&D, DK)

ROSATI, Dariusz (EPP, PL)

JEZEK, Petr (ALDE, CZ)

PAGAZAURTUNDUA RUIZ, Maite (ALDE, ES)

REGNER, Evelyn (S&D, AT)

CARTHY, Matt (GUE/NGL, IE)

JOLY, Eva (Greens/EFA, FR)

COBURN, David (EFDD, UK)

RUOHONEN-LERNER, Pirkko (ECR, FI)

BORGHEZIO, Mario (ENF, IT)

NIEDERMAYER, Ludek (EPP, CZ)

LANGEN, Werner (EPP, DE)

Panel II:Exchange of views with European Commissioner

Pierre Moscovici, Member of the European Commission responsible for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs