Breakthrough deal to put spotlight on tax avoiders

"Today's agreement to open the tax books of companies to the public is long overdue and an important leap towards a better and more durable way of taxing companies in the future. From now on, the spotlight is brightly and clearly on those companies who systematically avoid taxes", said Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP, EPP Group negotiator on the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, on the deal struck with the EU Member States on the so-called Public Country-by-Country Reporting, which obliges companies to make public where they pay taxes.

"We believe that international oriented companies should pay the right amount of taxes in the EU countries where they operate, according to the level of activity in the countries. Not less. Not more", said Pietikäinen.

"It is essential that any demand for tax information that we ask companies in the European Union to put forward to the public includes safeguards that protect commercially-sensitive information. I believe we have achieved that and European companies will now have legal certainty for years to come", Pietikäinen concluded.