National tax systems should remain responsibility of individual EU member states

Former Prime Minister and Maltese MEP Alfred Sant expressed his concerns about the growing space the EU is taking in controlling and operating national tax systems across the EU, which he insisted must remain the responsibility of the individual Member States. The Maltese MEP made this statement when he voted in favour of a resolution on the Prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing at the European Parliament.
Dr Sant welcomed deeper transparency standards and said ensuring the safe management of EU funds by making them resilient to money laundering and terrorism financing is a prerequisite to any EU action.
“I especially welcome the inclusion of greater information on beneficial ownership and the concentration of information in a public central register of beneficial ownership. Cooperation between the Member States’ authorities is key in this revision, regardless of their status or nature. Proper enforcement of this greater cooperation and exchange of information mechanism will then need to be ensured at the national level. There has been a tendency over the past year to legislate on the protection of the Union’s financial interests and to extend the scope of application, which was necessary.”
Dr Sant said he is nevertheless concerned that this revision would disproportionally impact the Member States’ tax flexibility as it would notably apply to tax advisors and electronic money distributors.
The Resolution addresses five tasks: (i) ensuring a high level of safeguards for financial flows from high-risk third countries; (ii) enhancing the powers of EU Financial Intelligence Units and facilitating their cooperation; (iii) ensuring centralised national bank and payment account registers or central data retrieval systems in all Member States; (iv) tackling terrorist financing risks linked to virtual currencies; and (v) tackling risks linked to anonymous pre-paid instruments (pre-paid cards).
The Resolution was approved with 574 in favour, 13 against and 60 abstentions.

Maltese Version – IS-SISTEMI NAZZJONALI TAT-TAXXA GĦANDHOM JIBQGĦU PREROGATTIVA TAL-ISTATI MEMBRI INDIVIDWALI TAL-UE

Il-Kap tad-delegazzjoni Maltija Laburista tal-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant qal lil Parlament Ewropew li l-istati membri tal-UE għandhom jibqgħu responsabbli għas-sistemi tat-taxxi tagħhom meta esprima t-tħassib tiegħu li l-UE qed tkabbar il-kontroll tagħha fl-operat fis-sistemi tat-taxxa nazzjonali madwar l-UE. Dr Sant qal dan waqt li vvota favur riżoluzzjoni dwar il-prevenzjoni tal-użu tas-sistema finanzjarja għal skopijiet ta’ ħasil ta’ flus jew terroriżmu.
Dr Sant wera l-qbil tiegħu dwar sistemi trasparenti li qed jiġu proposti u qal li l-fondi tal-UE għandhom jitħaddmu b’tali mod li tkun iebsa biex dawn jintużaw f’ħasil ta’ flus u finanzjament tat-terroriżmu. Huwa essenzjali li kull azzjoni li tieħu l-UE tirrifletti dan, qal l-MEP Malti.
“B’mod speċjali naqbel li tiżdied l-informazzjoni dwar is-sidien benefiċjarji u li jkun hemm konċentrazzjoni ta’ informazzjoni f’reġistru pubbliku ċentrali ta’ sidien benefiċjarji. Il-kooperazzjoni bejn l-awtoritajiet tal-istati membri hija kruċjali f’din ir-reviżjoni, irrispettivament mill-qagħda jew in-natura tagħhom. Jeħtieġ li l-iskambju tal-informazzjoni u t-titjib fil-kooperazzjoni jkunu inforzati fuq livell nazzjonali. F’din l-aħħar sena kien hemm tendenza li l-UE tilleġiżla dwar il-protezzjoni tal-interessi finanzjarji tal-Unjoni u l-estensjoni tal-ambitu tal-applikazzjoni, li kienu meħtieġa. ”

Dr Sant qal li xorta huwa mħasseb li din ir-reviżjoni se jkollha impatt sproporzjonat fuq il-flessibilita` tas-sistema ta’ tassazzjoni tal-istati membri għax se taffettwa b’mod partikolari lil konsulenti tat-taxxa u lid-distributuri tal-flus elettroniċi.
Ir-riżoluzzjoni Parlamentari tindirizza ħames oqsma (1) tiżgura livell għoli ta’ salvagwardji finanzjarji minn pajjiżi terzi b’riskju għoli; (2) iżżid il-poteri tas-settur tal-ispjunaġġ finanzjarju tal-UE u tiffaċilita l-kooperazzjoni ta’ bejniethom; (3) tiżgura ċentralizzazzjoni ta’ reġistri bankarji nazzjonali u reġistri ta’ kontijiet ta’ pagament jew sistemi ċentrali ta’ rkupru ta’ informazzjoni mill-istati membri kollha (4) tindirizza r-riskji ta’ finanzjament tat-terroriżmu marbuta ma’ muniti virtwali u (5) tindirizza r-riskji marbuta ma’ strumenti bħal ‘pre-paid cards’.

Ir-Riżoluzzjoni ġiet approvata b’574 vot favur, 13 vot kontra u 60 astensjoni.