Tax grilling for multinationals - EUbusiness Week newsletter 739 - EUbusiness.com

EUbusiness Week 739 top stories: EU leaders cautious on Turkey migrant deal; EU promises more relief for crisis-hit farmers; EU, Cuba normalise ties in ‘historic step’; British business lobby says members back staying in EU; Workers rights “kneecapped” by sharing economy: unions; Fertile France leads European birth rates

Publisher’s Note

Representatives of the big bad multinationals got a grilling this week at a hearing of a special European Parliament committee on tax rulings. MEPs heard their thoughts on a proposed directive against base erosion and profit shifting, as well as a proposed requirement for country-by-country reporting of profits, taxes and subsidies.

They know they are fighting a losing battle. Increasing public and political attention to their aggressive corporate tax planning practises has increased pressure for major change. And this means making the multinationals pay tax where they earn their profits.
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Regards,

Nick Prag
Publisher, EUbusiness

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1. EU leaders cautious on Turkey migrant deal

European Union leaders warned hard work was needed at a summit on Thursday to seal a deal with Turkey to curb the migration crisis, despite signs that key hold-out Cyprus is ready to compromise.
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EU doesn’t know how much spent on curbing migrants: auditors

2. EU promises more relief for crisis-hit farmers

The EU said it was looking for support from the European Investment Bank at crisis talks in Brussels aimed at helping dairy and other farmers hit hard by plunging prices.
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EU backs milk production cuts to tackle low prices

3. EU, Cuba normalise ties in ‘historic step’

The EU and Cuba have signed a deal to normalise relations, including an agreement on the delicate issue of human rights — a breakthrough just ahead of US President Barack Obama’s historic visit to the island.
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4. British business lobby says members back staying in EU

Britain’s biggest business lobby says most of its members want the country to stay in the European Union, ahead of the key referendum to be held in three months’ time.
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5. Workers rights “kneecapped” by sharing economy: unions

The explosion of the sharing economy is threatening to “kneecap” workers rights and social protection systems dating back to the 19th Century, European Labour Unions warn.
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6. Fertile France leads European birth rates

France led Europe with the highest fertility rate in 2014 with Greece and other crisis-hit countries suffering the lowest rates on the continent, the EU’s latest data shows.
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EUROPEAN LAW

OLAF: the EU’s anti-fraud agency said it may go to the bloc’s highest court after its chief was stripped of his diplomatic immunity over claims that he illegally listened in on a phone call during a corruption investigation.
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British expats challenge exclusion from EU referendum
Latest news from the European Court of Justice
EU law firms
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Inside the EU Institutions

Council Watch

Tampon tax: the European Union said Thursday it will give its 28 Member States the option of completely removing a tax on tampons which feminists had denounced as unfair.
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Ukraine passes graft bill needed for visa-free travel to EU
Most French also want vote on EU membership: UK study
Council …

Commission Watch

Asylum: the Commission said Tuesday it had pushed back plans to overhaul the bloc’s asylum system until next month after it has sealed the migration crisis deal with Turkey.
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Russia Syria pullout could slow EU refugee flows: Juncker
EU suspends Burundi government aid over violence
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Parliament Watch

Social democrats: French President Francois Hollande on Saturday welcomed more than a dozen Social democrat leaders from the European Union to Paris to discuss the migrant crisis and how to jump-start economic growth.
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Germany’s populist AfD: from anti-euro to anti-migrant
In committee this week, Civil Liberties Committee MEPs looked at the new ‘Privacy Shield’ framework on EU-US transfers of personal data by private firms, and proposed a centralised EU system for asylum claims with national quotas; and the Internal Market Committee debated proposed updated rules to prevent guns ending up in the wrong hands.
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EU diary

21-23 Mar: European Robotics Forum 2016
21 Mar: Access to and reuse of EU legal information
21-23 Mar: European Parliament Committee Meetings
22-23 Mar: High level conference on global health security
The Week Ahead
Long-term diary