By Silvia Marchetti
ROME (MaceNews) – Italy supports switching from unanimity in votes on tax and defense policy within the European Council to a qualified majority, which according to ruling coalition sources will speed up the decision-making and integration process.
The proposal of changing the voting system within the EU Council, which represents member states, was launched a few years ago by the European commission but little progress has been made by governments over fear of handing over too much sovereignty to Brussels.
“It is unacceptable that still today, in certain key strategic policy areas, one country’s single veto has the power to block new laws and frameworks that may strengthen European integration”, notes one official.
“If anything, COVID has proven even more how important it is to have a convergence of laws and actions among member states. Giving up sovereignty is the price to pay, but it is for the common good”.
Policy areas ruled by unanimity include tax policy and a cornerstone, albeit incomplete, pillar of integration – the Common Foreign and Security Policy which entails the possibility of deploying military or civilian troops to preserve peace in conflict areas.
The need to adopt speedier decisions regarding the creation of an effective European army, ready to be rapidly deployed in case of emergency, re-surfaced following the US’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the threats of regional instability knocking at Europe’s doors, said sources. A revamped EU defense strategy would run parallel to NATO, not in contrast to it.
“Foreign policy is still a prerogative of member states, the EU’s foreign representative is in fact, just a spokesperson and a symbolic figure. In many areas member states have different foreign policy stances, but we really need to make progress and come to terms with the fact that Europe needs to speak with one voice on the global stave”, noted an official.
A more integrated common defense, favored by a qualified majority voting, includes as well coordinated policies on migrants. It would enable a joint action in aid relief and a burden-sharing of refugees landing on Mediterranean shores, reinforcing the current quota scheme.
“Today each member states handles the migrant crisis as it pleases, with southern countries such as Italy and Spain under the highest pressure, both humanitarian and financial”, said an official.
A qualified majority on tax policy decisions would make it easier to pass new regulation and crack down on low-tax jurisdictions, harmonize EU-wide rules on corporate tax, value-added tax and excise duty which would simplify operations for companies doing cost-border business.
It would also increase tax transparency and make it harder for countries like Luxembourg and Ireland to lure companies with very low taxation.
“Qualified majority voting will allow us to fight against distortionary fiscal policies that allow VAT-linked cross-border frauds”, noted an official.
The 5 Stars and League parties have in the past opposed the move to a qualified majority voting but have now come to embrace it under the rule of premier Mario Draghi.
A former 5 Stars member, who recently ditched the movement, stressed how it would be “risky and penalizing” for Italy to change the current voting mechanism, given in his view “Italy has always passively accepted decisions against our interests coming from the Franco-German bloc.”
“If we move to a qualified majority voting, we’ll be even more their victims by further sacrificing our sovereignty.”
The EC proposal of changes to the current voting system would need to be discussed by all national parliaments and eventually approved.
The voting reform is backed by the EU’s ‘big countries’ eager to move on with further integration including Italy, Germany and France. The ‘minor’ bloc against it includes smaller countries such as Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Estonia, who fear to lose their appeal as ‘low-tax heavens’.
Contact this reporter: silvia@macenews.com