Among the issues discussed were the need for Europe to pursue an investment strategy that promotes economic recovery and creates new jobs, as well as the importance of completing the Banking Union, and effectively fighting against tax evasion and fraud.
The meeting was chaired by Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius (LSDP), who stated: ‘The upcoming months and years will be pivotal for the future of Europe. A lot needs to be done over the new legislative period to ensure that Europe pursues policies that foster sustainable economic growth and that tackle unemployment. Important steps have been taken for further regulating and supervising the European banking sector. The Banking Union is a historic step forward in promoting a fair banking sector, although more needs to be done to ensure that banks start serving the real economy. Moreover we will continue to be at the forefront of the fight against tax evasion and fraud. Our aim is to tackle the issue of aggressive tax planning and closing down tax havens.’
The meeting was also attended by Croatian Finance Minister Boris Lalovac (SDP), French Finance Minister Michel Sapin, Maltese Finance Minister Edward Scicluna (PL), Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Romanian Budget Minister Liviu Voinea, Slovakian State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Vazil Hudak (SMER-SD), Member of the European Parliament Maria Rodrigues Joao (S&D Group) and Deputy Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Yonnec Polet.