European Union

This update provides an overview of the current situation in Greece, one year on since the introduction of Europe’s flawed migration policies to close borders along the Western Balkan route and return migrants and refugees to Turkey.

The EU has a proud history of commitment to international law and human rights which has driven its policies for 60 years. This joint agency paper argues that now is the time for Europe to show global leadership on migration by adopting policies that uphold these values, rather than triggering a race to the bottom.

The Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus are among the world’s 15 worst corporate tax havens, according to new Oxfam research published today. The report ‘Tax Battles’ reveals a global race to the bottom on corporate tax that is starving countries out of billions of dollars needed to tackle poverty and inequality.

The true scandal is that most of the schemes used by BASF are legal, and a consequence of fierce tax competition between EU member states, says Oxfam in reaction to the Greens/EFA group report on aggressive tax planning practices of German chemical giant BASF.

EU governments are on the brink of agreeing a tax haven blacklist that could ensure corporate tax havens face international sanctions for the first time. This is a welcome move if the list includes objective and comprehensive criteria instead of focussing solely on opacity of tax systems, said Oxfam today.

The European Union must overhaul its current bioenergy policy, which is based on getting fuel from plants, because the industry is linked to the eviction of thousands of people from their lands, out-competing food crops, and creating more not less pollution, says Oxfam in a new report.

Today the European Commission released its fourth package to combat tax evasion and tax avoidance. This corporate tax reform package notably includes a proposal to harmonize the tax base among EU 28 member states. Oxfam supports the ongoing efforts of the European Commission to reopen discussions on tax base harmonization and to push ahead in the fight against tax avoidance.

There is overwhelming evidence of the harm caused by the European Union’s current bioenergy policy to people in developing countries, to the climate and to Europe’s own sustainable development. This briefing follows the trail of destruction left by the policy on three continents.

Oxfam is calling for the EU and its member states to fundamentally change their approach to managing migration.