– Mr President, this report is an important step forward, as it sets the legislative framework for sanctions against those who promote and implement unacceptable tax avoidance and tax planning practices, and also because it deprived all of us of the pretence that we did not know what was going on. A year ago, many were pretending that tax havens did not exist within the EU, so I guess it was difficult to believe how easily they who demanded the increased competitiveness of the countries of Southern Europe are actually the ones who undermined the competitiveness of the EU with their well-hidden fiscal practices. Now we know that we have to do something, and we know what to do: we have the road map to do it. It is paramount to keep pushing for more transparency and more tangible results, especially in the workings of the Code of Conduct Group, the willingness of which to cooperate remains questionable. So it is not addressed enough in this report, but we expect the Council to stop sabotaging the work of the European Parliament and the Commission on taxation issues. The momentum is already accelerating for a more transparent fiscal environment in the EU, and we must assure those who put resistance and obstacles in our way that there is no way to stop us.