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Press material Friday 17 June 2022

● Council of the EU   17/06/2022 12:52 | Press release | Fight against VAT fraud: Council authorises deepening cooperation with Norway   Today, the Council authorised the opening of negotiations with Norway to strengthen the agreement between the EU and Norway on administrative cooperation, combating fraud and recovery of value added tax (VAT) claims. The EU’s current agreement with Norway is considered as working well and mutually beneficial. It entered into force in September 2018. It allows both parties to cooperate in a similar way EU member states do to fight against VAT fraud, and assist each other to recover claims in the field of VAT. The Council considers it timely to further strengthen cooperation with Norway. It wishes to expand the agreement in order to also include a number of new possibilities for administrative cooperation which were created since 2018, such as: enhancement of the Eurofisc network through reinforced governance, the so-called follow-up actions (joint processing and analysis of data) and administrative enquiries carried out jointly (joint audits); the possibility to use additional means to exchange information. Today, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with Norway to this effect. Council decision Commission recommendation VAT fraud: EU approves cooperation agreement with Norway (press release, 22 June 2018) EU-Norway agreement signed, strengthening the prevention of VAT fraud (press release, 6 February 2018)

17/06/2022 12:52 | Δελτίο τύπου |

Καταπολέμηση της απάτης στον τομέα του ΦΠΑ: Η εμβάθυνση της συνεργασίας με τη Νορβηγία εγκρίνεται από το Συμβούλιο

Σήμερα, το Συμβούλιο ενέκρινε την έναρξη διαπραγματεύσεων με τη Νορβηγία με στόχο την ενίσχυση της συμφωνίας μεταξύ της ΕΕ και της Νορβηγίας σχετικά με τη διοικητική συνεργασία, την καταπολέμηση της απάτης και την είσπραξη απαιτήσεων στον τομέα του φόρου προστιθέμενης αξίας (ΦΠΑ). Η τρέχουσα συμφωνία της ΕΕ με τη Νορβηγία θεωρείται ότι λειτουργεί ικανοποιητικά και είναι αμοιβαία επωφελής. Τέθηκε σε ισχύ τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2018. Επιτρέπει στα δύο μέρη να συνεργάζονται με τρόπο παρόμοιο με εκείνον που συνεργάζονται τα κράτη μέλη μεταξύ τους για την καταπολέμηση της απάτης στον τομέα του ΦΠΑ, και να παρέχουν αμοιβαία συνδρομή για την είσπραξη απαιτήσεων στον τομέα του ΦΠΑ. Το Συμβούλιο εκτιμά ότι είναι η κατάλληλη στιγμή για να ενισχυθεί περαιτέρω η συνεργασία με τη Νορβηγία. Επιθυμεί επέκταση της συμφωνίας ώστε αυτή να συμπεριλάβει και ορισμένες νέες δυνατότητες διοικητικής συνεργασίας που δημιουργήθηκαν από το 2018, όπως: την ενίσχυση του δικτύου Eurofisc μέσω βελτιωμένης διακυβέρνησης, των λεγόμενων επακόλουθων ενεργειών (από κοινού επεξεργασία και ανάλυση δεδομένων) και διοικητικών ερευνών που διεξάγονται από κοινού (κοινοί έλεγχοι)· τη δυνατότητα χρήσης πρόσθετων μέσων για την ανταλλαγή πληροφοριών. Σήμερα, το Συμβούλιο εξουσιοδότησε την Επιτροπή να αρχίσει διαπραγματεύσεις με τη Νορβηγία για τον σκοπό αυτόν. Απόφαση του Συμβουλίου Σύσταση της Επιτροπής Απάτη στον τομέα του ΦΠΑ: Η ΕΕ εγκρίνει συμφωνία συνεργασίας με τη Νορβηγία (δελτίο Τύπου, 22 Ιουνίου 2018) Υπογραφή της συμφωνίας ΕΕ-Νορβηγίας, με την οποία ενισχύεται η πρόληψη της απάτης στον τομέα του ΦΠΑ (δελτίο Τύπου, 6 Φεβρουαρίου 2018)

Meetings Friday 17 June 2022

● Council of the EU   17/06/2022 12:40 | MEETING | Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 17 June 2022   Background brief - Economic and Financial Affairs Council of 17 June 2022

Economic and Financial Affairs Council, 17 June 2022

17 June 202207:30 Arrivals
11:40 Public session
15:00 Press conference

Estimated schedule
Agenda highlights
Croatia and the euro

Economy and finance ministers will complete several steps in the procedure to allow Croatia to join the euro area: they will discuss Croatia's convergence report and they will adopt the recommendation by the euro area member states to the Council on the adoption of the euro by HR on 1 January 2023. They will also endorse a letter from the Council Presidency to the European Council on the issue of euro area enlargement.Joining the euro area (background information)
European Semester 2022

The Council will discuss the European Semester 2022 and approve the country specific recommendations.European Semester (background information)
Recovery and Resilience Facility

The Council will take stock of the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and it may adopt a Council Implementing Decision on the national recovery plan of Poland.A recovery plan for Europe (background information)
Russia's war in Ukraine

Economy and finance ministers will discuss the economic and financial aspects of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.EU restrictive measures against Russia over Ukraine (since 2014) (background information)


The Council will aim to reach a general approach on the pillar 2 proposal
Corporate taxation

The Council may aim to agree its position on the pillar 2 directive transposing into EU law of the global agreement reached at the OECD Inclusive Framework that multinational corporations should not pay less than 15% tax anywhere in the world.
Other issues

The Council will also try to reach a general approach on the Solvency II amending directive and on the review of the alternative investment fund managers directive (AIFM).

Economy and finance ministers are also expected to discuss new own resources of the EU. They will also take stock on progress on the legislative package on anti-money laundering.


Meeting information

Meeting n°3883
Luxembourg
17 June 2022
10:30
Preparatory documentsBackground brief
Provisional agenda
Provisional agenda
Provisional list of A items
Provisional list of A items, addition 1
List of A items, non-legislative activities
List of A items, legislative deliberations

Press material Friday 17 June 2022

● Council of the EU   17/06/2022 10:10 | Press release | Council conclusions at the end of the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference   The Commission informed the Council of the latest developments in the 12th Ministerial Conference of WTO. The Council shared the Commission's positive assessment of the overall package achieved. In particular, the Council welcomed the results on fisheries subsidies; trade and health and measures related to intellectual property, trade and food security, WTO reform and the e-commerce moratorium. The Council approves the draft Declarations and Statements on: a. Ministerial Declaration on the WTO response to the COVID-19 pandemic and preparedness for future pandemics b. Ministerial Declaration on the emergency response to food insecurity The Council also approves the draft outcome document in the form of a Ministerial Declaration. Second set of Council conclusions at the end of the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference Council of the EU Press release 17 June 2022 10:00 Council conclusions at the end of the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference The Commission informed the Council of the latest developments in the 12th Ministerial Conference of WTO. The Council shared the Commission's positive assessment of the overall package achieved. In particular, the Council welcomed the results on fisheries subsidies; trade and health and measures related to intellectual property, trade and food security, WTO reform and the e-commerce moratorium. The Council approves the draft Declarations and Statements on:a. Ministerial Declaration on the WTO response to the COVID-19 pandemic and preparedness for future pandemics b. Ministerial Declaration on the emergency response to food insecurityThe Council also approves the draft outcome document in the form of a Ministerial Declaration.Second set of Council conclusions at the end of the 12th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference