Petition Demands End to Tax Evasion in Europe
The initiative means to lobby for a harmonization of Corporation Law in Europe to tackle tax evasion and re-fund public spending.
About 40,000 Spanish citizens have signed a petition demanding measures against front companies and tax heavens in Europe, explained the activists in charge of the initiative Saturday.
Beyond Spain, the petition will be launched in many other European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Bulgaria and Belgium. The petition asks the European Commission to initiate regional Parliament and Council legislation updating Corporation Law, grounded in the principle of transparency.
The project was presented in Spain by the national coordinator of the Citizen Observatory for International Financial Transparency (OCTFI), Ana María Rodríguez, who highlighted that major companies managed to reduce their taxes by 72 percent via such mechanisms in Spain, where fraud is among the highest in Europe, she asserted.
A harmonization of European regulations against this pattern could contribute to stabilize the financial sector and empower the fight against tax evasion and money laundering, she added.
According to the OCTFI’s estimate, almost US$48 million could be recovered every year in Spain if such measures were implemented.
The spokesperson of the Indignados movement 15-M, Lara Columba, deplored the impact of the phenomenon in Spain, while education and health sectors were both facing budget cuts of about 17 and 30 percent each.
The petition organizers expect to reach the million signature goal before October 1.
