Plenary debate

During the debate in Strasbourg on 14 November, many MEPs commented on the role of the state. “I hope this new leak has opened the eyes of those member states who had not comprehend the magnitude of the problem,” said Czech ALDE member Petr Ježek, one of the authors of the final report by Parliament's committee investigating the Panama papers.

German ECR member Bernd Lucke asked: “How come we need investigative journalists to reveal all this? What are national tax authorities up to?”

Matti Maasikas, representing the Council, said: “The leaks are instrumental for informed policymaking and political decisions. A fairer tax system is what citizens expect from us.”

Pierre Moscovici, the commissioner for taxation, said he was shocked but not surprised about the revelations: "For quite a while now we know that multinational companies and well-off tax payers and banks have been working hand in glove to remove all sorts of earnings from the public light." He added: “If this is legal - as some claim - then we need to change the law with the help of this Parliament."

According to Austrian ENF member Barbara Kappel the EU had made significant progress over the last few years: “There are now many instruments available to combat tax avoidance and it seems to me that you won’t find any Europeans in the Paradise papers apart from Brits."

A number of MEPs underlined the threat posed by unfair tax practices. Czech EPP member Luděk Niedermayer said: “The extensive use of loopholes in tax systems and the intentional or unintentional creation of special tax regimes are harming our economy, harming competition, increasing inequality, and as result, people are losing trust.”

Belgian Greens/EFA member Philippe Lamberts said: “Tax avoidance is not just undermining the public system, but also democracy."

Italian S&D member Gianni Pittella called attention to the need to tackle the facilitators of tax dodging: “The competent authorities should suspend or revoke banking licenses of financial institutions and advisors who are complicit in organising tax evasion."

Spanish GUE/NGL member Miguel Urbán Crespo added: “How long are we going to tolerate this and not have deterrents and sanctions such as removing professional and banking licences? Until we do that, we won’t be tackling tax avoidance and evasion."