75 Written explanations of Brian HAYES
Interim report on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 – Parliament's position with a view to an agreement (A8-0358/2018 - Jan Olbrycht, Isabelle Thomas, Janusz Lewandowski, Gérard Deprez)
. ‒ I broadly support Parliament’s interim report on the MFF which sets out the EU’s long-term budget for the period 2021-2027. Given the importance of the budget for EU policies the Fine Gael delegation voted in favour of Parliament’s position but would highlight that the delegation does not support the proposal for the implementation of a common consolidated corporate tax base (CCCTB) as a basis for a new own resource.
Annual Report on Competition Policy (A8-0049/2018 - Ramon Tremosa i Balcells)
I voted in favour of the Annual Report on Competition Policy because it advocates a free and fair level playing field for businesses all over Europe. Tackling anti-competitive practices is in everyone’s interest – from consumers to businesses big and small – as it is vital for the very existence of the EU’s single market.However, while I support the overall direction of the report, I do not support paragraph 29 which advocates a digital tax on the basis of turnover. I do accept that digital companies need to be taxed more efficiently, but taxing companies must be done on the basis of profits, not turnover, as has always been the case in the European Union.
Disclosure of income tax information by certain undertakings and branches (A8-0227/2017 - Hugues Bayet, Evelyn Regner)
Fine Gael MEPs voted in favour of this report as the measures agreed by Parliament represent a major step forward for tax transparency. These measures will force multinational companies to publicly disclose information on how much tax they pay on a country-by-country basis. This proposal is the first of its kind for the majority of European multinationals that fall within its scope. Europe is leading on this issue alone. Tax information for large companies should be made public as long as it is fair and is in the public interest and this is reflected in the final report. What was important in the final outcome is that there is a clause which ensures that companies can get an exemption from publishing commercially sensitive information as this could put certain businesses at a disadvantage. These exemptions need to be approved by the national regulator before being scrutinised by the European Commission for approval and are finally disclosed on a list by the Commission. There will also be a review of this clause after four years. There are enough checks and balances with this clause that it cannot be treated as a loophole.
EU Strategy on Syria (RC-B8-0331/2017, B8-0331/2017, B8-0333/2017, B8-0335/2017, B8-0337/2017, B8-0338/2017, B8-0341/2017, B8-0342/2017)
Implementation of the Council's LGBTI Guidelines, particularly in relation to the persecution of (perceived) homosexual men in Chechnya, Russia (B8-0349/2017, B8-0349/2017, B8-0350/2017, B8-0351/2017, B8-0353/2017, B8-0355/2017, B8-0356/2017)
FinTech: the influence of technology on the future of the financial sector (A8-0176/2017 - Cora van Nieuwenhuizen)
EU eGovernment action plan 2016-2020 (A8-0178/2017 - Sabine Verheyen)
I chose to vote for the EU e-Government action plan 2016-2020 because I believe that public services at present are in large need of further modernisation. The digitalisation of public services will see improvements in the areas of efficiency, accessibility, transparency and cost-effectiveness across the board.
Annual report 2015 on the protection of EU's financial interests - Fight against fraud (A8-0159/2017 - Julia Pitera)
I chose to vote for the ‘Annual report 2015 on the protection of the EU’s financial interests – Fight against fraud’, as fraud, particularly VAT fraud, is a large problem within the EU and any legislation to prevent such activities will receive my support. We may now expect to see further supervision from the Commission, which should prevent billions in losses for the EU.
Resource efficiency: reducing food waste, improving food safety (A8-0175/2017 - Biljana Borzan)