P5_TA(2004)0200
Temporarytaxreductionsforenergy*
EuropeanParliamentlegislativeresolutionontheproposalforaCouncildirectiveamendingDirec-
tive2003/96/ECasregardsthepossibilityforcertainMemberStatestoapply,inrespectofenergyproducts and electricity, temporary exemptions or reductions in the levels of taxation
(COM(2004)42/dashC5-0090/2004/dash2004/0016(CNS))
(Consultationprocedure)
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtotheCommissionproposaltotheCouncil(COM(2004)42)(
1),
/dash havingregardtoArticle93oftheECTreaty,pursuanttowhichtheCouncilconsultedParliament
(C5-0090/2004),
/dash havingregardtoRule67ofitsRulesofProcedure,
/dash havingregardtoitsopinionof24September2003onthedraftCouncildirectiveonrestructuringthe
Communityframeworkforthetaxationofenergyproductsandelectricity(2),
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonEconomicandMonetaryAffairs(A5-0158/2004),
1. ApprovestheCommissionproposal;
2. CallsontheCounciltonotifyParliamentifitintendstodepartfromthetextapprovedbyParliament;
3. AskstheCounciltoconsultParliamentagainifitintendstoamendtheCommissionproposalsub-
stantially;
4. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwarditspositiontotheCouncilandCommission.
(1) NotyetpublishedintheOJ.
(2) P5_TA(2003)0404.
P5_TA(2004)0201
EC-Swissagreementontaxationofsavings*
EuropeanParliamentlegislativeresolutionontheproposalforaCouncildecisionontheconclu-
sionoftheAgreementbetweentheEuropeanCommunityandtheSwissConfederationprovidingformeasuresequivalenttothoselaiddowninCouncilDirective2003/48/ECof3June2003ontaxationofsavingsincomeintheformofinterestpaymentsandtheaccompanyingMemorandum
ofUnderstanding(COM(2004)75/dashC5-0103/2004/dash2004/0027(CNS))
(Consultationprocedure)
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtotheproposalforaCouncildecision(COM(2004)75)(
1),
/dash havingregardtothedraftagreementbetweentheEuropeanCommunityandtheSwissConfederation
providingformeasuresequivalenttothoselaiddowninCouncilDirective2003/48/ECof3June2003ontaxationofsavingsincomeintheformofinterestpaymentsandtheaccompanyingMem-orandumofUnderstanding,
(1) NotyetpublishedintheOJ.29.4.2004EN C103E/149 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Tuesday30March2004
/dash havingregardtoArticles94and300(2),firstsubparagraph,oftheECTreaty,
/dash havingregardtoArticle300(3),firstsubparagraph,oftheECTreaty,pursuanttowhichtheCouncil
consultedParliament(C5-0103/2004),
/dash havingregardtoRules67and97(7)ofitsRulesofProcedure,
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonEconomicandMonetaryAffairs(A5-0169/2004),
1. ApprovestheproposalforaCouncildecisionasamendedandapprovestheconclusionoftheagree-
ment;
2. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwarditspositiontotheCouncilandCommission,andthegovernments
andparliamentsoftheMemberStatesandtheSwissConfederation.
TEXTPROPOSED
BYTHECOMMISSIONAMENDMENTS
BYPARLIAMENT
Amendment1
Recital4a(new)
(4a) Theultimateaimistoenablesavingsincomeinthe
form of interest payments made in one Member State tobeneficial owners, individuals, resident in another MemberStatetobemadesubjecttoeffectivetaxationwhichisneededtofightagainstharmfultaxcompetitionandtocontributetowardsimprovingthefunctioningofthesinglemarketbyremoving artificial incentives to the flow of capital in theEUandbeyond.
Amendment2
Recital4b(new)
(4b) Theequitableandeffectivetaxtreatmentofsavingsin
EuropenecessarilyimpliesthatMemberStatesshouldhavetherighttotaxtheEU-wideincomeoftheirresidentsaccord-ingtotheirowndomestictaxrulesandtaxscales.
Amendment3
Recital4c(new)
(4c) The best method of taxing savings effectively is for
informationtobeexchangedautomaticallybetweentaxauth-orities.
Amendment4
Recital4d(new)
(4d) Switzerland,likesomeMemberStates,hasoptedfora
withholdingtaxatsource,inconnectionwithDirective2003/48/EC,andwillintroducesuchataxonfundsfromEuropeanUnionresidents, 75%ofthe revenue generated bythetaxbeing transferred to the Member State of residence of thebeneficialowner.C103E/150 EN29.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Tuesday30March2004
Amendment5
Recital4e(new)
(4e) Nevertheless, consideration needs to be given to the
needs of the banking sectors of some Member States andtheirstructuraldifferencesbyallowingthemtohaveatran-sitionalperiodduringwhichtheywilllevyawithholdingtax,at a rate increasing progressively to 35%; until fullinformationexchangeisachievedthiswillensureaminimumlevelofeffective taxation;thegreater partofthisrevenueshouldbetransferred to the Member State of residence ofthebeneficialowneroftheinterest.
Amendment6
Recital4f(new)
(4f) InordertopreventtheflightofcapitalfromtheEuro-
peanUnion,theapplicationofthisagreementisconditionalupontheadoptionandimplementationbythedependentorassociatedterritoriesoftheMemberStatesmentionedintheFeiraEuropeanCouncilDecisionof19and20June2000,aswellastheUnitedStatesofAmerica,Andorra,Liechtenstein,Monaco and San Marino, respectively, of measures whichconformwithorareequivalenttothosecontainedinDirec-tive2003/48/ECorinthepresentagreementonthetaxationofsavingsincomeintheformofinterestpayments.
Amendment7
Recital4g(new)
(4g) The conclusion of an agreement with Switzerland
should not be linked to ongoing negotiations with otherparties.
Amendment8
Recital4h(new)
(4h) Itisimperativethatnegotiationswiththeabove-men-
tionedthirdcountriesbeconcludedinatimelymanner;nofurther counter-requests from these countries should beaccepted;agreementswiththesecountriesshouldincludethesamefundamentalelementsasthoseintheagreementwithSwitzerland.
Amendment9
Recital4i(new)
(4i) The same measures will be applied in all relevant
dependentorassociatedterritories(theChannelIslands,Isle
of Man and the dependent or associated territories in theCaribbean).29.4.2004EN C103E/151 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Tuesday30March2004
TEXTPROPOSED
BYTHECOMMISSIONAMENDMENTS
BYPARLIAMENT