Public expectations and EU policies – Fight against tax fraud

A series of Briefings from the European Parliamentary Research Service which looks at EU actions in a series of policy areas. This follows up a public opinion survey organised by Eurobarometer for the European Parliament in April 2016 which asked the question: Would you like the EU to intervene less than at present or more than at present for the following policy areas?

Terrorism / Unemployment / Tax fraud / Migration / Borders / Democracy / Environment / Security and defence / Health / Gender equality / Energy / Economy / Foreign policy / Agriculture / Industrial policyTax matters remain closely linked to Member States, and the EU’s competences in tax are limited. Different forms of escaping tax obligations result in tax fraud, evasion or avoidance, dealing with which is a cross-border issue. The fight against fraud and evasion is a mix of national and EU actions. However, EU citizens express strong support for EU involvement in the fight against fraud and this creates a gap between citizens’ expectations and the actual EU involvement in this policy area.