Commissioner Hoekstra delivered a keynote speech at the EU Tax Symposium co-organized by the European Commission (EC) and the European Parliament on March 18, 2025, in which he outlined the EC's tax priorities, structured around three key themes:
- Boosting competitiveness and the green transition: In the short term, the EC will urge member states to swiftly conclude negotiations on the Energy Taxation Directive and to implement the tax incentives recommended in the Clean Industrial Deal. In the medium to long term, efforts will focus on improving the business environment and ensuring a level playing field for European companies, with the proposed simplification of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) given as an example.
- Encourage efficient and effective taxation: Commissioner Hoekstra welcomed the adoption of the Value Added Tax (VAT) in the Digital Age (ViDA) package by member states, but emphasized that more can be done to enhance tax administration efficiency in collecting VAT, excise duties, and corporate and individual (personal) income taxes. The Commissioner committed to regularly following up on these efforts in cooperation with member states. Additionally, Commissioner Hoekstra stressed the need for improved cooperation and better information-sharing between national tax administrations across the EU.
- Promote fairness and transparency nationally and internationally: Commissioner Hoekstra reiterated the EU’s commitment to Pillar Two and emphasized that the EU will continue to pursue this work diligently with member states and international partners. In this context, the Commissioner highlighted the recent political agreement reached for the extension of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation to establish a framework for the exchange of Pillar Two information between member states (DAC9).
Read an April 2025 report prepared by the KPMG’s EU Tax Centre