Dijsselbloem wants simpler budget rules for eurozone
27 Apr 2016 11:43 AM
According to finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, ‘The budget rules for countries in the eurozone need to be simpler, more predictable and easier to explain.’ He was speaking on day two of the informal meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin), which was held in Amsterdam on 24 April.
Easier to explain to voters
While the two-day Ecofin meeting was intensive, it also produced results. Finance ministers from all 28 EU member states discussed the budget rules for eurozone countries. ‘The rules for countries in the eurozone need to be simpler, more predictable and easier to explain to our voters,’ said Mr Dijsselbloem.
Joint approach to tackling VAT fraud
The Ecofin meeting also addressed the fight against VAT fraud. The Netherlands would like EU member states to take more joint action and use innovative methods to combat criminal gangs. The ministers discussed ways to improve information-sharing and cooperation between the tax authorities of individual member states. State Secretary for Finance Eric Wiebes presented IT tools that EU member states can use to detect VAT fraud at an earlier stage.
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