Dublin Opinion

There’s an interesting report in the Financial Times today. It states that France has “put on ice” its plans to implement European tax harmonisation under its forthcoming presidency.

Christine Lagarde, French finance minister, told the Financial Times that while the proposal for a common consolidated corporate tax base had not been abandoned altogether, Paris would no longer press other governments to back it over the next six months.

“It is on the agenda, but we are not pushing it,” said Ms Lagarde in an interview. “It is alive, but not kicking very much.

The relegation of the tax base proposal – a long-standing French objective – is the first sign the Irish No vote is having a knock-on effect on the EU’s policy agenda, particularly on those issues deemed to encroach on national sovereignty.

“The landscape has slightly modified because of good old Ireland,” Ms Lagarde said, while insisting that “the imperatives are the same”.

Until now, Paris had insisted its presidency programme was unchanged.”

The full article can be read here.