International Tax Review's Award: Commissioner Šemeta sets out case for eliminating tax obstacles in single market

24/05/2012

24 May 2012, Brussels. Algirdas Šemeta, European Commissioner for taxation and customs union, audit and anti-fraud, won this year's Editor's Choice Award at International Tax Review's European Awards.

In his acceptance letter Commissioner wrote: "I am pleased to accept this award in the category "person that has had the biggest impact on tax practise or administration in Europe in the previous 12 months" as recognition that my actions to create a real single market from the tax perspective is also something important for tax professionals. In the EU we are faced with major challenges in terms of fiscal consolidation as well as promoting growth and employment. Taxation has an important role to play here.

In particular we cannot expect our citizens to accept cuts in public services and increases in taxation without first looking to ensure that existing tax rules are fully respected and that tax systems are sufficiently robust and fit for purpose. I believe that we need to concentrate our efforts on developing tax systems that ensure a fair division of the burden, are efficient and cost effective and are not open to abuse. "

Commissioner Šemeta welcomes European Parliament's strong support for the Financial Transactions Tax

23/05/2012

Speaking after the European Parliament's vote in favour of the Commission's proposal for a financial transactions tax today, Commissioner Šemeta said:

"I warmly welcome today's endorsement by the European Parliament of our proposal for a financial transactions tax.

This vote is further recognition of everything that an EU FTT has to offer: a fairer tax system, greater stability of the financial sector, and a new source of revenue that does not ask more of the everyday taxpayer.

The FTT is an opportunity to be seized.

From a small tax we can generate substantial revenues to finance growth-enhancing measures, support growth-friendly tax reforms or help fund global challenges such as development and climate change.

Taxing the financial sector is a question of fairness. Banks and financial institutions received – and continue to receive - massive support from the public sector to overcome the crisis. It is not unreasonable to expect them to contribute, in the same way as other sectors, to our collective recovery.

The FTT will help re-build the damaged relationship between the financial sector and the ordinary citizen, by pointing this sector more towards the real economy and helping to restore confidence.  

It is now in the hands of Europe's Finance Ministers to reach a quick decision on the Commission's proposal for a financial transactions tax. This is what citizens – and now the European Parliament – expect."

Statement on Savings Tax Agreements and VAT strategy

15/05/2012

Brussels, 15 May 2012. Following discussions on the Savings Tax Agreements at the Economic Financial Affairs Council, Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Algirdas Šemeta said: "I am extremely frustrated that we could not reach agreement today on the mandates to negotiate new and stronger savings tax agreements with Switzerland and the 4 other third countries. Tackling tax evasion is a growth-friendly way of boosting national budgets. How can any Member State possibly justify blocking progress in this area?"

Following discussions on the VAT strategy at the Economic Financial Affairs Council, Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Algirdas Šemeta said: "On a more positive note, Ministers did endorse today the new VAT Strategy which I put forward last December. This supports the calls from citizens, businesses and administrations for a complete overhaul of the current system. We must make the EU VAT regime simpler, more efficient and more fraud-proof."

Commission proposes new VAT rules for vouchers

10/05/2012

Brussels , 10 May 2012 – Today, the European Commission proposed to update EU VAT rules to ensure the uniform tax treatment of all types of vouchers across all Member States. Vouchers represent a market of more than € 52 billion per year in the European Union. Prepaid telecommunications account for almost 70% of the voucher market, followed by gift vouchers and discount vouchers. However, differences in national VAT rules on vouchers lead to serious market inefficiencies. Instead of being able to really benefit from the Single Market, companies face problems of double taxation and difficulties in expanding their business across borders. The new rules seek to redress this situation.

Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud and Audit, said:
"Vouchers are a booming business in Europe, with millions bought and sold every week. There is no justification for this ever-expanding market to be held back because of uncertainty and complications in the tax rules. With the new VAT rules proposed today, we can move to a genuine single market for vouchers, to the benefit of businesses, citizens and tax administrations."

EU-US agreement on global supply chain

04/05/2012

4 May 2012, Brussels. Today an important step forward has been taken in EU-US trade relations and in securing the global supply chain. After several years of negotiations, the EU and USA have agreed to mutually recognise each other's "trusted traders".

Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Algirdas Šemeta said: "Today's agreement is a major step forward in the EU-US trade relationship. At a time when businesses need all the support they can get, this will make life easier and cheaper for many transatlantic traders. It will also help to ensure that security checks on traded goods are more focussed and effective, further improving the protection that customs provides for each and every citizen." 

Commission welcomes EP positive vote on discharge for the 2010 budget

10/05/2012

Brussels, 10 May 2012 – The Commission welcomes today's decision by the European Parliament to grant discharge to the Commission in respect of the implementation of the 2010 budget.

Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner responsible for Taxation and Customs Union, Audit and Anti-Fraud, said: "I greatly appreciate the support that the European Parliament has shown today for our work to ensure that EU funds are correctly controlled and managed. The very constructive dialogue between our two institutions in the run up to today's vote has confirmed a common ambition to ensure that EU taxpayers' money is spent properly, and spent well. Huge improvements have been made over the past 10 years but we can't stop here. The Commission has tabled even stronger measures for EU financial management under the next generation of spending programmes, which will help to reduce errors even further. I count on the co-legislators, Parliament and Council to back these measures, so that we can continue to assure citizens that we are doing everything in our power to protect their money."

Statement of Commissioner Šemeta on the European Parliament's vote on discharge

10/05/2011

Following the vote of the European Parliament granting discharge to the European Commission for the 2009 budget, Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta, in charge of Audit and Discharge, said:

"I warmly welcome the granting of discharge by the European Parliament to the Commission for the 2009 budget. This is proof that the excellent cooperation we have had with the European Parliament, in particular with the rapporteurs to ensure a common understanding on the issue and the way forward for better financial management of the EU budget, is paying off.

The discussions we had this morning clearly showed the Commission and the Parliament - together with the Council - need to reflect on how the responsibility of the various financial actors can be better defined. The responsibility of EU Member States there is crucial. To this end, the Commission has put forward proposals to revise the EU's Budget Financial Regulation.

In addition, the need to simplify our rules and financial processes is a top priority of our discussions on the Multi-Annual financial Framework post-2013. I am personally convinced that combining simpler rules for managing our EU-funded projects with strong control mechanisms is key for all actors involved, ranging from the beneficiaries to Member States and EU institutions and bodies".

Commissioner Semeta addresses EP Committee on Budgetary Control on the 2009 Budget Discharge

28/02/2011

28 February 2011 Algirdas Semeta, Commissioner responsible for Taxation, Customs, Audit and Anti-Fraud, took part the European Parliament Cocobu Committee's meeting on the discharge of the 2009 budget. In response to the Rapporteur's draft report on the budget discharge, the Commissioner outlined a series of measures being taken by the Commission to address shared concerns related to the management and control of the EU budget.

Commissioner Semeta underlined that: "...our analysis already shows that a limited number of Member States account for a relatively high proportion of the reservations made by the Directors General in their Activity Reports, as well as for a significant number of the interruptions, suspensions, financial corrections and recoveries made. We need to draw conclusions from this fact and concentrate our efforts on the weakest authorities first with enhanced assistance but also, where needed, with preventive (interruption/suspension of payments) and curative (financial correction and recovery at closure) measures. And the Commission will do so."

He welcomed the Council's recommendation to grant budget discharge for 2009, while highlighting the need for all responsible actors to do more in the management of EU programmes, particularly the Member States.

Clean bill of health for EU accounts; auditors find fewer errors in payments

09/11/2010

For the third year running EU's annual accounts have received a clean bill of health from its external auditors. As for payments, the overall evaluation improves visibly, with a significant drop in errors found in aid to EU's regions.

Statement on the European Parliament's vote on the 2008 Budget Discharge

05/05/2010

Today, 5 May 2010, European Parliament granted discharge to the Commission for the management of the 2008 budget. The statement of Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta on the European Parliament's vote on the 2008 Budget Discharge.

One million smuggled cigarettes seized in customs operation

27/02/2012

Around 1.2 million cigarettes were seized in the first joint customs operation targeting rail traffic along the EU Eastern border. Twenty-four EU Member States, Croatia, Turkey, Norway and Switzerland participated in the operation which was organised by the Polish Customs Service in close cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). The operation took place from 18 to 27 October 2011. The final results of the operation were made public today at the Polish Customs Service in Sopot in Poland. The results could only be made public now not to interfere with further enquiries which had to be performed by the various customs authorities.

“Customs checks at the EU border are key to protecting our taxpayers' money and our legitimate businesses. The Commission and customs authorities in the Member States and in neighbouring countries have to work side by side to combat smuggling and all kinds of customs fraud. I am very happy with the successful results of this operation and strongly encourage more of these joint actions in the future” said Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for taxation, customs and anti-fraud. more

ES lėšos – Lietuvos muitinės mobiliajai rentgeno sistemai

03/02/2012

Lietuvos muitinė įsigijo naują mobiliąją rentgeno įrangą, kurią iš dalies finansavo Europos kovos su sukčiavimu tarnyba. Pagal programą Hercule Lietuvai buvo skirta pusė įrangai įsigyti reikalingos sumos – 1 milijonas eurų. Tai viena iš Europos Komisijos priemonių pagal kovos su cigarečių ir alkoholio kontrabanda per Rytų sieną veiksmų planą.

Už kovą su sukčiavimu atsakingas Europos Komisijos narys Algirdas Šemeta sakė: „Tai Europos investicija į Lietuvos vartotojų ir verslininkų apsaugą. Šalyje cigarečių kontrabandos per Rytų sieną rizika yra gana didelė. Šis reiškinys žalingas visiems: apvagiamas sąžiningai mokesčius mokantis verslas, keliama grėsmė sveikatai, dėl nesurenkamų mokesčių trūksta lėšų sveikatos ir socialinei apsaugai, švietimui. Teikdama finansavimą pagal specialias programas, ES padeda muitinėms apsirūpinti veiksmingos kovos su kontrabanda priemonėmis."

Euro coin counterfeiting in 2011

27/01/2012

Brussels , 27 January 2012 – The number of counterfeit euro coins removed from circulation has decreased by 15%, down to 157 000 coins compared to 186 000 the year before. The 2-euro denomination remains by far the most counterfeited euro coin, representing almost two thirds of all counterfeit euro coins detected. The low levels of counterfeit euro coins are the result of the combined efforts of the Member States, the Commission/OLAF (the EU's anti-fraud office) and the other European institutions.

The overall number of counterfeit coins is very small by comparison to the total number of around 16 billion genuine euro coins put into circulation of the three highest denominations (50c, 1€, 2€). This corresponds to 1 counterfeit for every 100 000 genuine coins.

Appointment of the new OLAF Supervisory Committee

24/01/2012

Brussels, 24 January 2012 – The European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission today formally approved the appointment of the new members of the Supervisory Committee of the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF.

Anti-Fraud: New anti-fraud programmes adopted to protect EU financial interests until 2020

19/12/2011

Brussels, 19 December 2011, EU Anti-Fraud policy makes a substantial contribution to protecting the financial interests of the EU and Member States' budgets every year. It ensures that EU and national budgets are well protected, that the money is spent for its intended purposes and reaches its proper beneficiaries.

In order to continue its work in this field, the European Commission today adopted two proposals for the Hercule III and Pericles 2020 programmes. With a budget of 110 million euro and 7.7 million euro respectively, these programmes will run for seven years from January 2014.

Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Anti-fraud and Audit, said: "Fraud against the EU budget is not a victimless crime. It concerns all European citizens because it is everybody’s money. As the EU is in the midst of a global financial crisis, it is particularly important that we protect our revenues and make sure our citizens benefit as much as possible from EU funds."

Another clean bill of health for EU accounts; auditors find improvements in many payment areas

10/11/2011

Brussels, 10 November 2011 - For the fourth year in a row, the EU's annual accounts have received a clean bill of health from its external auditors. As for EU spending, the overall error rate is once again below 4%. This means that the vast majority (at least 96%) of total payments made in 2010 were free from quantifiable error.

Algirdas Šemeta, Commissioner for Taxation, Customs, Audit and Anti-fraud said: "The Court of Auditors report confirms that we are on the right track, although that doesn't mean that we will relax our efforts to safeguard the EU budget. We are currently preparing the next generation of EU funds. This is a chance to further improve the quality of EU spending and to get more value for money from the EU budget, especially in policies managed together with Member States.  It is also a chance to show to all tax-payers that the Commission is doing everything it can to ensure that their money is properly controlled and spent."

10th Anniversary of the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission

04/07/2011

Internal Audit Service (IAS) of the European Commission is celebrating 10 years anniversary today.

In the conference, dedicated to the 10 years of activities of this service, Commissioner for Audit Algirdas Šemeta said: "from the standing start in 2001 we now have an independent, internationally respected, multi-national service conforming to the highest standards.  This is a particularly impressive achievement in the light of the substantial changes of the last decade – in particular the Treaty changes extending the geographical and policy scope of the European Union." 

Commissioner Šemeta participates in the Annual Conference organised by the Internal Audit Service of the European Commission

25/10/2010

The topic of the 2010 IAS conference was 'External Audit, Internal Audit'. The conference gathered some 400 participants. Commissioner Šemeta gave the opening speech [40 KB] .

Commissioner Šemeta's audit and anti-fraud agenda

31/05/2010

Today, 31 May 2010, Commissioner Šemeta presented his agenda for discharge, audit and anti-fraud to the Committee on Budgetary Control of the European Parliament.