Fair taxation: Member States update EU list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions

On 17 October 2023, EU Member States added three jurisdictions – Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and Seychelles – to the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes. All three jurisdictions were added to Annex I (so called “EU list”) because they have failed to properly enforce tax transparency standards, as assessed by the Global Forum on tax transparency and exchange of information. Today’s update is in line with the EU’s continuous effort to promote tax transparency and fair taxation globally.

As a result of this update, Annex I of the EU list is made up of 16 jurisdictions that have not improved their tax good governance standards or made insufficient progress in delivering on their previous commitments. Those countries are American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Russian Federation, Samoa, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, US Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu.

Additionally, 14 jurisdictions now feature in Annex II based on commitments they have taken to improve their tax good governance. Annex II now comprises 14 jurisdictions:  Albania, Armenia, Aruba, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominica, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, Türkiye, Vietnam. The EU will closely monitor these commitments to make sure they are followed up on. Thanks to the EU listing process, many countries have taken concrete steps and measures to comply with tax good governance standards.

As part of the EU listing process, the Commission provides considerable support to third countries in strengthening their tools against tax abuse, as well as technical assistance to those that need it. The Commission is also working with Member States to strengthen the EU listing criteria to ensure more tax transparency and a more refined approach to economic substance requirements, while promoting the global implementation of minimum effective taxation rules. Work on common or more coordinated tax defensive measures against listed jurisdictions, as well as a possible extension of the geographical scope of the EU list, are also under discussion in Council.

More info on the EU list is available here.

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