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Brussels - Tax cheats big and small were under the microscope in Brussels on Wednesday, as European Union leaders gathered at a summit to discuss tax evasion amid a fresh scandal involving computing giant Apple.
"All of the questions of tax fraud and tax evasion will be taken up, meaning both those involving individuals and those involving companies," French President Francois Hollande pledged ahead of the talks with his 26 EU counterparts.
"I believe in low taxes for businesses because we've got to encourage investment, we've got to encourage jobs ... But we've got to make sure as we set those tax rates that companies pay taxes," British Prime Minister David Cameron added.
Their comments came a day after politicians in the United States publicly slammed Apple - one of the world's most successful technology companies - for using its international presence to dodge hefty US taxes. The arrangements are legal under loopholes in US law.
Among the allegations is that EU member state Ireland gave Apple a 2% income tax rate - far below its current, already-low corporate tax rate of 12.5%. But Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny rejected those claims as he arrived for the Brussels summit.
"Ireland's corporate tax regime is very clear and transparent, and we do not do any special deals with individual companies in regard to that tax rate," he said.
The fight against tax evasion and avoidance has become a new global rallying cry, following a media expose on the widespread use of tax havens and scandals involving high-profile people in France and Germany.
The battle has gained traction in Europe amid concerns that painful austerity will be harder to sell if tax cheats are not forced to pay up. It is believed that EU governments lose €1 trillion ($1.3 trillion) annually in uncollected taxes.
The anti-poverty organization Oxfam estimates that more than €12 trillion are stashed away in tax havens within the EU and the territories it controls.
"Most governments claim to have no alternative but to cut public spending and development aid, but ... there's enough potential tax to be had on hidden 'private' money to end extreme world poverty twice over," said Natalia Alonso, head of Oxfam's EU office.
During their meeting in Brussels, the 27 leaders were set to call for progress on tackling "aggressive tax planning and profit shifting" by companies, according to a draft of their final statement seen by dpa.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz has proposed that all multinational companies should have to submit reports detailing what taxes they pay, profits they earn and how many people they employ in any given country.
"It is quite simply unfair that it should be the largest and most successful companies which pay virtually no taxes, even though they benefit enormously from state investment," Schulz told the leaders, according to a copy of his speech.
Various EU parliamentarians and non-governmental groups have called for the leaders to deliver hard-hitting measures, such as a blacklist of tax havens that would be subject to punishment.
But standing in the way of too much aggressiveness are Austria and Luxembourg, bank-secrecy stalwarts that are concerned about losing their attractiveness as banking destinations.
The draft summit statement does not propose any new measures, simply urging more action on VAT fraud, money-laundering and the taxation of the digital economy, along with more information-sharing between tax authorities - including the adoption of EU reforms opposed by Austria and Luxembourg "before the end of the year."
Diplomats have argued that the Brussels summit, even without breakthroughs, will contribute to the "global momentum" against tax evasion and convey a united European position ahead of discussions at a Group of 8 summit in June.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke of "a giant step forward."
"Just to be perfectly clear: we are not talking about harmonizing taxes or Europe taxing more or taxing less," EU President Herman Van Rompuy said. "We are talking about jointly fighting unacceptable practices that allow some people to avoid paying taxes altogether."
Also on Wednesday, the leaders were to discuss how energy policies can contribute to reinvigorating growth in the EU, with an unprecedented focus on energy prices. Bringing them in line with other parts of the world is seen as key to appeal to manufacturers.
