Press Release: Judgment in ECJ C-209/13 United Kingdom v Council

In a judgment delivered on the 30 April 2014 the European Court of Justice dismissed the action brought by the United Kingdom against the decision authorising eleven Member States to establish enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax.

The judgment argued that the arguments relied on by the United Kingdom were directed at the elements of a future tax and not at the authorisation to establish enhanced cooperation.

In response, a UK government statement remarked that the challenge had 'always been seen as a precautionary measure designed to eliminated any risk that a later challenge was ruled out of time'.

Finance ministers from all nations cooperating on the tax were scheduled to meet in early May 2014 to renew their efforts to agree on a final details of the proposal.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Financial transactions tax: UK launches legal challenge http://www.europeansources.info/record/financial-transactions-tax-uk-launches-legal-challenge/

Council of the Eurpean Union: 2013/52/EU: Council Decision of 22 January 2013 authorising enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax (OJ L22, 25.01.13) http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2013.022.01.0011.01.ENG

EurActiv, 25.04.14: EU court seen rejecting UK challenge to transaction tax http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/eu-court-seen-rejecting-uk-challenge-transaction-tax-301755

ECJ: Information relating to C-209/13 - United Kingdom v Council http://curia.europa.eu/juris/documents.jsf?num=C-209/13

BBC News, 30.04.14: Europe rejects UK's financial transaction tax challenge http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27218615

Blog: Open Europe, 24.04.14: Judgement day for the EU FTT: Will the ECJ rule in favour of taxation without representation? http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/judgement-day-for-eu-ftt-will-ecj-rule.html

EUObserver, 30.04.14: EU top court throws out UK challenge to transactions tax http://euobserver.com/news/123974

EurActiv, 30.04.14: UK legal challenge rebuffed as euro nations prepare FTT statement http://www.euractiv.com/sections/euro-finance/uk-legal-challenge-rebuffed-euro-nations-prepare-ftt-statement-301857

CBI: Press Release, 30.04.14: CBI comments on ECJ ruling on FTT http://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/press-releases/2014/04/cbi-comments-on-ecj-ruling-on-ftt/

The Guardian, 30.04.14: UK opposition to financial transaction tax rejected http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/apr/30/uk-opposition-to-financial-transaction-tax-george-osborne

Website: The Robin Hood Tax http://robinhoodtax.org.uk/

Deutsche Welle, 30.04.14: EU court dismisses Britain's challenge to financial services tax http://dw.de/p/1BrF0

United Kingdom: Parliament: House of Lords: Parliamentary business: Committees: All committees A-Z: Lords Select EU Sub Committee A - Economic and Financial Affairs: News: Lords Committee responds to legal decision on the Financial Transaction Tax proposal, 30.04.14 http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/eu-economic-and-financial-affairs-and-international-trade-sub-committee-a/news/ftt-30-april-2014-/

Blog: Open Europe, 30.04.14: ECJ throws out UK's FTT challenge, raising questions about whether it can be trusted to police the EU treaties http://openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/ecj-throws-out-uks-ftt-challenge.html

BBA: News, 30.04.14: BBA comment on ECJ decision on the UK’s FTT challenge https://www.bba.org.uk/news/press-releases/bba-comment-on-ecj-decision-on-the-uks-ftt-challenge/#.U2J00xCa-G1

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