Eight countries removed from tax haven black list

The ministers of finance of the EU agreed to remove eight countries from the black list which includes countries featuring tax evasion schemes, one month after the list was assembled.

At the session of the EU finance ministers held on Tuesday, January 23, 2018, in Brussels, the decision was made to remove Barbados, Grenada, South Korea, Macao, Mongolia, Tunisia, Panama and the United Arab Emirates from the list.

These eight countries were removed from the list “following commitments made at a high political level to remedy EU concerns”, an EU statement said.

The decision provoked reactions from members of the parliament and activist. The removal of Panama from the list is especially controversial.

Markus Ferber, vice chair of the European Parliament's economic committee, said that the decision was a confession of failure and that crossing Panama, one of the world's most prolific tax havens, off the blacklist, was a disastrous sign in the fight against tax avoidance.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Bruxelles

Evropski parlament Brisel

EU Council of Ministers

EU finance ministers

tax haven black list

tax havens

Barbados

Grenada

South Korea

Macao

Mongolia

Tunisia

Panama United Arab Emirates

European Parliament economic committee

European Parliament

Markus Ferber

tax payment

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