Compte rendu in extenso des débats

Jeudi 29 novembre 2018 - Bruxelles

9.1. Le scandale des «CumEx Files»: la criminalité financière et les lacunes du cadre juridique actuel (B8-0518/2018, B8-0519/2018, B8-0520/2018, B8-0521/2018, B8-0525/2018, RC-B8-0551/2018, B8-0551/2018, B8-0552/2018)

A szavazáshoz fűzött szóbeli indokolások

  Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski (PPE). – Niezwykle istotne przy tej rezolucji jest wskazanie państwa, w którym doszło do tak poważnych problemów z nadużyciem kwestii finansowych: to są Niemcy. Jest to bardzo smutny obraz, że tak ważne państwo w Unii Europejskiej dopuściło lukami prawnymi do tak poważnej afery.

Przypomnę, że niemieckie prawo pozwoliło na to, aby fiskus stracił 55 miliardów euro w 11 państwach członkowskich Unii Europejskiej. Wszystko to dzięki nieuczciwym bankierom, prawnikom, maklerom giełdowym. To kwota, która z pewnością pokryłaby większość potrzeb niemieckiej Bundeswehry. Zwrócę uwagę na istotność tej rezolucji w dwóch elementach, po pierwsze w tym zaniepokojeniu dotyczącym możliwości doprowadzenia do takiej luki i drugie: wezwania, które zostało sformułowane przez, mojego kolegę, Dariusza Rosatiego, za co chciałem bardzo serdecznie podziękować i podkreślić znaczenie tego wezwania.

  Monica Macovei (ECR). – Doamnă președintă, scandalul Cum-Ex a demonstrat încă o dată faptul că acolo unde autoritățile închid ochii, jurnaliștii de investigație aduc adevărul la suprafață. Ei au descoperit cum au fost furate 55 miliarde de euro de la oamenii cinstiți care își plătesc taxele. A durat zece ani până când Germania a modificat legislația și a interzis returnarea frauduloasă a taxelor pe dividende. Cu această problemă se confruntă și Franța și Danemarca și Olanda și multe alte țări. Autoritățile se împiedică însă de proceduri greoaie, de colaborare nefuncțională și, practic, rezultatul este că cei care ne fură, infractorii, rămân nepedepsiți. Cum-Ex este cea mai mare escrocherie din istoria Europei și ne demonstrează că este nevoie de un răspuns european, ferm, rapid, acum, ieri, pentru a opri acest furt din banii publici.

  §Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner (ECR). – Arvoisa puhemies, EU:n jäsenvaltiot ovat menettäneet cum ex -osinkokikkailujen takia ainakin 55 miljardia euroa. Tämäkin veroskandaali tuli päivänvaloon tutkivien toimittajien työn ansiosta. Jälleen kerran viranomaiset ovat istuneet tiedon päällä, eikä tieto ole kulkenut toivotulla tavalla jäsenvaltioiden välillä.

Cum ex -skandaali antaa myös hyvän esimerkin pyöröovi-ilmiön ongelmallisuudesta.

Frankfurtin veroviraston entinen johtaja, verolakimies Hanno Berger, palkattiin pankkimaailman puolelle monimutkaisia osinkokikkailumalleja kehittämään. Bergerin näkemyksen mukaan aggressiivinenkin osinkojen pesu on ollut laillista. On vaikea käsittää, miten esimerkiksi järjestelyt, joissa useat henkilöt hakevat samaa veronpalautusta, vaikka veroa ei ole maksettu edes yhteen kertaan, ovat voineet joissain maissa olla laillisia.

Skandaali osoittaa, että paljon on vielä tehtävää veronkierron ja aggressiivisen verosuunnittelun vastaisen työn saralla. Tämän johdosta oli helppo äänestää päätöslauselman puolesta.

  Seán Kelly (PPE). – Madam President, the Cum-Ex tax fraud scheme, as has been mentioned, has cost EU countries a reported 55 billion: a huge sum of money. Through complex share deals with no economic purpose other than to receive tax reimbursements from the state and no actual tax being paid, European citizens have, to put it bluntly, been robbed. The EU has made significant progress in tackling money laundering and tax fraud. However, the Cum-Ex scandal has shown that there is still a gap in effective implementation, enforcement and administrative cooperation between Member States. This scandal has, naturally, caused outrage across Europe. Urgent coordinated action at EU level is needed. This kind of large-scale tax fraud needs to be clamped down on, and we must assess the strength of the laws we have in place to this end.

  Daniel Hannan (ECR). – Madam President, you might say that once the scandal was unveiled, the system worked. Investigative journalists did their job, legislation was changed. I’m struggling to understand why the rest of us are now piling in to opine on what is essentially a German domestic matter. Germany is not a failed state; on the contrary, it’s a country whose rule of law is beyond question and whose authorities operate according to impartial rules. A little bit of me wonders whether this isn’t part of this Chamber’s constant obsession with trying to have a common fiscal policy, which would really be about reducing competition rather than about cracking down on avoidance.

But I have to say – perhaps I’m the only person in the House who feels this – isn’t it slightly odd to hear all of these outraged squeals about tax avoidance from Members of the European Parliament, who are exempt from paying national income tax?