Vol. 573 No. 5
73 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance the discussions he has had with other EU Finance Ministers regarding the proposed introduction of majority voting on some tax issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25766/03]
As the Deputy is aware, Ireland has always supported the principle of decision making by unanimity in taxation matters. The draft EU constitutional treaty presented by the Convention on the Future of Europe to the European Council includes changes to the tax articles which would mean that if tax measures in the indirect and corporation tax areas relate to tax fraud-evasion and administrative co-operation, the Council could agree unanimously to decide on these matters by qualified majority voting. Taxation remains a key issue for Ireland in the context of the negotiations currently under way at the Intergovernmental Conference on a new EU constitutional treaty and we will continue to oppose any move from unanimity in taxation matters.
In recent months I met a number of my EU Finance Minister colleagues. I also met accession countries' Finance Ministers. I have taken the opportunity at these meetings and on other occasions, such as ECOFIN meetings, when the opportunity presents, to make known our views. The Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who are Ireland's representatives at the Intergovernmental Conference, have also made our position clear.
