Text tabled : A7-0318/2011

  Dominique Vlasto (PPE), in writing. – (FR) I welcome the adoption of this report on the future of VAT. Created in Europe in 1967, VAT accounts for over one-fifth of tax revenue in Member States: it is therefore vital that it works properly. The system in place today was designed to be temporary, and my political group is now calling for a massive shake-up. The first thing needed is to cut red tape. The bureaucratic burden on companies in this area has become intolerable. This is a priority if we want to make the European internal market appealing again. Next, the process of EU integration requires increased convergence, and VAT must set the example. It is absolutely necessary to do away with any disparities that may currently exist between Member States, in order to put a stop to unhealthy competition that tends to be rife. The two cornerstones of this reform will increase the stability, growth and prosperity of the EU common market, making it more appealing and improving legal certainty. I emphasise that with the modernisation of our tax system, the EU’s leading position in global trade is at stake.