COM(2003)726 - An Internal Market without company tax obstacles: achievements, ongoing initiatives and remaining challenges

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Contents

  1. Key information
  2. Key dates
  3. Related information
  4. Full version
  5. EU Monitor

1.

Key information

official title

Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee - An Internal Market without company tax obstacles: achievements, ongoing initiatives and remaining challenges
 
Legal instrument Communication
reference by COM-number75 COM(2003)726 EN
Additional COM-numbers COM(2003)726
CELEX number78 52003DC0726

2.

Key dates

Document 24-11-2003
Online publication 24-11-2003

3.

Related information

 

4.

Full version

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5.

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  • 1. 
    Point 5 of the Presidency Conclusions from the Lisbon European Council, 23 and 24 March 2000.

     
  • 2. 
    COM(2001)582: 'Towards an Internal Market without tax obstacles. A strategy for providing companies with a consolidated corporate tax base for their EU-wide activities'

     
  • 3. 
    Company Taxation in the Internal Market'
     
  • 4. 
    These overall objectives were originally agreed at the Informal ECOFIN-Council in Verona in April 1996. See Commission Communication 'A package to tackle harmful tax competition in the European Union'
     
  • 5. 
    'Tax policy in the European Union - Priorities for the years ahead'
     
  • 6. 
    Detailed information is also available at the 'Company Taxation Pages' of the relevant web-site: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/index.htm. The web-site is regularly updated.

     
  • 7. 
    See Communication COM(2001)214 and the infringement procedures launched by the Commission against various Member States subsequent to the failure of preceding discussions.

     
  • 8. 
    Following appropriate discussions with Member States which did not lead to the necessary legislative changes infringement procedures were launched against various Member States.

     
  • 9. 
    Existing ECJ jurisprudence raises questions as to the compatibility with the EC Treaty of certain types of dividend taxation systems in cross-border situations (e.g. Verkooijen case (C-35/98), Manninen (C-319/02), Schmid (C-516/99), Lenz (315/02) on free movement of capital).

     
  • 10. 
    COM(2003)462 and COM(2003)613

     
  • 11. 
    Council Regulation (EC) No 2157/2001 and Council Directive 2001/86/EC on employee involvement.

     
  • 12. 
    Council Regulation (EC) No 1435/2003 and Council Directive 2003/72/EC on employee involvement.

     
  • 13. 
    The scope of the recently adopted Interest
     
  • 14. 
    For instance, Pirelli
     
  • 15. 
    For instance, in the decided cases Futura
     
  • 16. 
    Hernler, Jörg, ETAS - Das European Tax Allocation System für eine einheitliche Ertragsbesteuerung Europäischer Unternehmen, in: Der Betrieb 2003, p.60-65.

     
  • 17. 
    E.g. in the case Saint-Gobain
     
  • 18. 
    For more information (programme, papers, summary, etc.) see: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/conference.htm

     
  • 19. 
    For example: Round Table 'Company Taxation and Europe - Today and tomorrow' organised by the European Federation of Accountants (FEE) on 16 October 2002 and the CFE Forum on 'Direct Taxation: IAS - a way to harmonize taxation in Europe?' organised by the Confédération Fiscale Européenne on 10 April 2003 (both held in Brussels).

     
  • 20. 
    For example, the related events and working parties organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

     
  • 21. 
    Detailed information is available on the following web-site: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/consultations.htm

     
  • 22. 
    see for instance section IV.B.11.1 and section IV.C.15.6 and 16.5.2.

     
  • 23. 
    For detailed information see: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/consultations/home_state_sme.htm

     
  • 24. 
    Lodin, S.-O. and Gammie, M., Home State Taxation, IBFD Publications, Amsterdam, 2001.

     
  • 25. 
    Some observers even refer to possible constitutional problems in specific Member States.

     
  • 26. 
    If desired, additional economic simulations could be carried out at Member State level as only national tax administrations have access to the data needed for an exercise of this kind.

     
  • 27. 
    Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. This definition distinguishes between: medium-sized enterprises
     
  • 28. 
    For instance, there is no need for the exclusion of specific sectors except those which are subject in any case to specific tax rules, e.g. shipping, banking and insurance.

     
  • 29. 
    The Commission is nevertheless working on other similar specific initiatives in order to facilitate compliance in the field of VAT mainly for SMEs, see for instance Commission Communication 'Review and update of VAT strategy priorities' COM(2003)614

     
  • 30. 
    SMEs in Europe, including a first glance at EU candidate countries No 2, DG Enterprise publications. For more information see the 'Observatory of European Enterprises' run by DG Enterprise of the EC Commission: europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ enterprise_policy/analysis/observatory.htm

     
  • 31. 
    EIM Business
     
  • 32. 
    The compulsory use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from 2005, formerly known as International Accounting Standards (IAS), was introduced by Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 (OJ L 243, 11 September 2002) ("IFRS Regulation")

     
  • 33. 
    The Consultation Document and a summary of the results are available on the following web-page: europa.eu.int:8082/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/consultations/ias.htm

     
  • 34. 
    IASB - International Accounting Standards Board, the body which issues IFRS

     
  • 35. 
    An SE could operate as a single entity across the EU without needing to produce separate branch accounts for consolidation.

     
  • 36. 
    It goes without saying that the study will by no means prejudge any position or decision to be taken by the Commission in this area, in particular as regards the compatibility of a future SE tax regime with the Treaty rules.

     
  • 37. 
    Art. 43-45 EU-Treaty ("Nice Treaty") and Art. I-43, III-322-329 of the Draft constitutional Treaty.

     
  • 38. 
    Point 5 of the Presidency Conclusions from the Lisbon European Council, 23 and 24 March 2000.

     
  • 39. 
    COM(2001)582: 'Towards an Internal Market without tax obstacles. A strategy for providing companies with a consolidated corporate tax base for their EU-wide activities'

     
  • 40. 
    Company Taxation in the Internal Market'
     
  • 41. 
    These overall objectives were originally agreed at the Informal ECOFIN-Council in Verona in April 1996. See Commission Communication 'A package to tackle harmful tax competition in the European Union'
     
  • 42. 
    'Tax policy in the European Union - Priorities for the years ahead'
     
  • 43. 
    Detailed information is also available at the 'Company Taxation Pages' of the relevant web-site: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/index.htm. The web-site is regularly updated.

     
  • 44. 
    See Communication COM(2001)214 and the infringement procedures launched by the Commission against various Member States subsequent to the failure of preceding discussions.

     
  • 45. 
    Following appropriate discussions with Member States which did not lead to the necessary legislative changes infringement procedures were launched against various Member States.

     
  • 46. 
    Existing ECJ jurisprudence raises questions as to the compatibility with the EC Treaty of certain types of dividend taxation systems in cross-border situations (e.g. Verkooijen case (C-35/98), Manninen (C-319/02), Schmid (C-516/99), Lenz (315/02) on free movement of capital).

     
  • 47. 
    COM(2003)462 and COM(2003)613

     
  • 48. 
    Council Regulation (EC) No 2157/2001 and Council Directive 2001/86/EC on employee involvement.

     
  • 49. 
    Council Regulation (EC) No 1435/2003 and Council Directive 2003/72/EC on employee involvement.

     
  • 50. 
    The scope of the recently adopted Interest
     
  • 51. 
    For instance, Pirelli
     
  • 52. 
    For instance, in the decided cases Futura
     
  • 53. 
    Hernler, Jörg, ETAS - Das European Tax Allocation System für eine einheitliche Ertragsbesteuerung Europäischer Unternehmen, in: Der Betrieb 2003, p.60-65.

     
  • 54. 
    E.g. in the case Saint-Gobain
     
  • 55. 
    For more information (programme, papers, summary, etc.) see: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/conference.htm

     
  • 56. 
    For example: Round Table 'Company Taxation and Europe - Today and tomorrow' organised by the European Federation of Accountants (FEE) on 16 October 2002 and the CFE Forum on 'Direct Taxation: IAS - a way to harmonize taxation in Europe?' organised by the Confédération Fiscale Européenne on 10 April 2003 (both held in Brussels).

     
  • 57. 
    For example, the related events and working parties organised by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

     
  • 58. 
    Detailed information is available on the following web-site: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/company_tax/consultations.htm

     
  • 59. 
    see for instance section IV.B.11.1 and section IV.C.15.6 and 16.5.2.

     
  • 60. 
    For detailed information see: europa.eu.int/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/consultations/home_state_sme.htm

     
  • 61. 
    Lodin, S.-O. and Gammie, M., Home State Taxation, IBFD Publications, Amsterdam, 2001.

     
  • 62. 
    Some observers even refer to possible constitutional problems in specific Member States.

     
  • 63. 
    If desired, additional economic simulations could be carried out at Member State level as only national tax administrations have access to the data needed for an exercise of this kind.

     
  • 64. 
    Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. This definition distinguishes between: medium-sized enterprises
     
  • 65. 
    For instance, there is no need for the exclusion of specific sectors except those which are subject in any case to specific tax rules, e.g. shipping, banking and insurance.

     
  • 66. 
    The Commission is nevertheless working on other similar specific initiatives in order to facilitate compliance in the field of VAT mainly for SMEs, see for instance Commission Communication 'Review and update of VAT strategy priorities' COM(2003)614

     
  • 67. 
    SMEs in Europe, including a first glance at EU candidate countries No 2, DG Enterprise publications. For more information see the 'Observatory of European Enterprises' run by DG Enterprise of the EC Commission: europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ enterprise_policy/analysis/observatory.htm

     
  • 68. 
    EIM Business
     
  • 69. 
    The compulsory use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from 2005, formerly known as International Accounting Standards (IAS), was introduced by Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 (OJ L 243, 11 September 2002) ("IFRS Regulation")

     
  • 70. 
    The Consultation Document and a summary of the results are available on the following web-page: europa.eu.int:8082/comm/ taxation_customs/taxation/consultations/ias.htm

     
  • 71. 
    IASB - International Accounting Standards Board, the body which issues IFRS

     
  • 72. 
    An SE could operate as a single entity across the EU without needing to produce separate branch accounts for consolidation.

     
  • 73. 
    It goes without saying that the study will by no means prejudge any position or decision to be taken by the Commission in this area, in particular as regards the compatibility of a future SE tax regime with the Treaty rules.

     
  • 74. 
    Art. 43-45 EU-Treaty ("Nice Treaty") and Art. I-43, III-322-329 of the Draft constitutional Treaty.

     
  • 75. 
    De Europese Commissie kent nummers toe aan officiële documenten van de Europese Unie. De Commissie maakt onderscheid in een aantal typen documenten door middel van het toekennen van verschillende nummerseries. Het onderscheid is gebaseerd op het soort document en/of de instelling van de Unie van wie het document afkomstig is.
     
  • 76. 
    De Raad van de Europese Unie kent aan wetgevingsdossiers een uniek toe. Dit nummer bestaat uit een vijfcijferig volgnummer gevolgd door een schuine streep met de laatste twee cijfers van het jaartal, bijvoorbeeld 12345/00 - een document met nummer 12345 uit het jaar 2000.
     
  • 77. 
    Het interinstitutionele nummer is een nummerreeks die binnen de Europese Unie toegekend wordt aan voorstellen voor regelgeving van de Europese Commissie.
    Binnen de Europese Unie worden nog een aantal andere nummerseries gebruikt. Iedere instelling heeft één of meerdere sets documenten met ieder een eigen nummering. Die reeksen komen niet overeen met elkaar of het interinstitutioneel nummer.
     
  • 78. 
    Deze databank van de Europese Unie biedt de mogelijkheid de actuele werkzaamheden (workflow) van de Europese instellingen (Europees Parlement, Raad, ESC, Comité van de Regio's, Europese Centrale Bank, Hof van Justitie enz.) te volgen. EURlex volgt alle voorstellen (zoals wetgevende en begrotingsdossiers) en mededelingen van de Commissie, vanaf het moment dat ze aan de Raad of het Europees Parlement worden voorgelegd.
     
  • 79. 
    Als dag van bekendmaking van een Europees besluit geldt de dag waarop het besluit in het Publicatieblad wordt bekendgemaakt, en daardoor in alle officiële talen van de Europese Unie bij het Publicatiebureau beschikbaar is.