The European Union supports sustainable and equitable tax systems paving the way for a recovery that benefits people and the planet. It has therefore endorsed the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI) Declaration 2025, thereby becoming a member of the ATI. The initiative brings together 64 partner countries, development partners and organisations to foster tax systems that advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The endorsement is an important milestone in the EU’s efforts towards a fair, green and inclusive recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through boosting domestic revenue mobilisation in the EU’s partner countries.
“The EU stands fully behind the Addis Tax Initiative. Addressing inequalities and fostering sustainable development require mobilising domestic revenues in a just and effective way. We also need to fight tax evasion, illicit financial flows and corruption. When everyone pays their fair share of taxes, countries have more budget to provide for essential services, including education, public health care and social security,” said Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, who signed the ATI Declaration 2025 on behalf of the European Union.
Many countries are facing spending cuts to public services due to the pandemic. As a result, resources to fund key sectors such as education, public health system and social protection are lacking. The EU supports its partner countries in their reforms to mobilise more domestic revenues and increase spending efficiency through the “collect more – spend better” approach, in particular in a way that will make economies more inclusive, equitable and greener.
Endorsing the ATI Declaration 2025 is in line with the EU’s support to the global agreement on minimum effective taxation.
Background information
The ATI Declaration 2025 builds on the original declaration adopted in 2015 and reflects economic and social challenges posed by the pandemic. While it does not create any legal obligations, by signing the ATI Declaration 2025, the EU reaffirms its commitment to promoting fair and effective domestic revenue mobilisation.
Since its launch in 2015, the ATI has grown as a multi-stakeholder global partnership on domestic revenue mobilisation. Results so far suggest that ATI partner countries have increased their average tax revenue compared to the size of their economy (tax-to-GDP ratio). Also, development partners have effectively stepped up their actions to meet the target of collectively doubling their assistance to domestic revenue mobilisation.
Details
- Publication date
- 17 December 2021
- Author
- Directorate-General for International Partnerships