Danuta Maria Hübner, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Madam President, I think that both Tax Committee reports proved that matters relating to tax rulings cover a wide range of issues, from the tax rulings themselves and administrative practices to the protection of whistle-blowers, to beneficial ownership, to tax competition and state aid. The issue is central also because of the amount of funds involved in tax dodging and the impact on growth fairness. But what makes this issue even more complex and specific is its cross—border dimension. Tax dodging thrives on the mismatches between systems and the lack of cross—border cooperation. Unilateral actions to fight it can create unwanted competitive distortions that are harmful for law-abiding businesses. Therefore, when addressing tax avoidance and evasion, it is important that we act in compliance with global standards and achieve a high level of international cooperation.

On all issues covered by the OECD BEPS Action Plan, we really need to have all countries on board, because there are rules that are likely to influence the location of business activities worldwide. And last but not least, when we – as the European Union –plan to go further than the OECD, we must make sure that our ambition is not to depart from those recommendations, but to build upon them. Commissioner, just to end, I would like to tell you that to ensure a follow-up to our report we count on you, and you know very well that your presentation was proof that there are still many things to fix to give our citizens fairer taxation.