ETAF statement on the future evaluation of the Whistleblower Protection Directive
On 17 September 2025, ETAF responded to the public consultation of the European Commission on its future evaluation of the Whistleblower Protection Directive, scheduled for the end of 2026. While acknowledging the Directive’s positive role in strengthening ethical behaviour in commercial transactions, ETAF highlighted a key implementation issue that should be addressed in the evaluation: the inconsistent translation and application of the legal term “legal professional privilege” across Member States. These divergences currently create legal uncertainty and unequal treatment of different legal professions within the EU. ETAF therefore called for a uniform and coherent approach, suggesting that the term “legal professional privilege” be replaced with “duty of confidentiality of the legal professions” to ensure consistency. In addition, ETAF urged the Commission to reduce bureaucracy by raising the threshold for mandatory internal reporting channels from 50 to at least 100 employees, thereby alleviating the disproportionate administrative burden on medium-sized firms.
European Commission consults on upcoming Digital Omnibus Package
The European Commission launched on 16 September 2025 a call for evidence on its upcoming Digital Omnibus package, scheduled for adoption at end of 2025. The initiative aims to address problems and simplify rules across several areas, including the data acquis (Data Governance Act, Free Flow of Non-Personal Data Regulation, Open Data Directive), cookies and tracking rules under the ePrivacy Directive, cybersecurity-related incident reporting obligations, AI Act rules, and aspects of electronic identification and trust services under the European Digital Identity Framework, notably in view of aligning regulation with the forthcoming proposal for an EU Business Wallet and applying the “one in, one out” principle. Beyond these immediate adjustments, the Commission also plans to launch a Digital Fitness Check at a later stage to assess the coherence and cumulative impact of the EU digital acquis governing business activities. Stakeholders have until 14 October 2025 to provide feedback on this call for evidence.
European Commission recommendation on SIAs’ tax treatment expected on 30 September
The European Commission is expected to publish on 30 September 2025 its recommendation on the tax treatment of savings and investment accounts (SIAs). According to media reports, the proposal will encourage Member States to grant SIAs the most favourable tax treatment available for any asset class or account, with possible measures including deductions from the taxable base, tax exemptions for income generated by SIA assets, tax deferrals until withdrawal, and a uniform tax rate to be applied to assets held in SIAs. The Commission is also likely to stress the need for simplified tax compliance, calling for clear and easily accessible information on tax rules and streamlined procedures enabling SIA providers to collect the tax on account holders' behalf and enabling providers to share relevant data with tax authorities to prefill account holders' tax returns. The recommendation is further expected to state that transferring a retail investor’s portfolio between SIA providers should not trigger a taxable event.
EU Finance Ministers gather in Copenhagen to discuss competitiveness and economic resilience
On 19 and 20 September 2025, EU Finance Ministers gathered in Copenhagen to discuss how Europe can strengthen its competitiveness and economic resilience amid rising geopolitical tensions. On the first day, Ministers participated in a working lunch where they explore ideas to ensure that new EU regulations are cost-effective, in particular by achieving the objectives of the regulation while minimizing the burdens on businesses and the costs to public finances. In the afternoon, attention turned to the simplification of financial regulation. The second day began with a working session on national structural reforms aimed at strengthening productivity and competitiveness. Drawing on new analyses from the IMF, Ministers discussed where the greatest potential for reforms lies and how political barriers can be addressed to ensure lasting results both nationally and at the EU level. The meeting concluded with a session on the economic consequences of geopolitics for Europe, with the participation of ministers from Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada.
FISC hearing on tax implications of the Trump administration’s policies on 23 September
On 23 September 2025, from 15:45 to 17:00, the FISC Subcommittee of the European Parliament will hold a public hearing on "Tax implications of the Trump administration’s policies". The discussion will examine how recent US measures may affect the competitiveness of European companies, particularly in relation to international tax frameworks such as the OECD's Pillar Two and the possible application of digital services taxes (DSTs) in the EU. Confirmed speakers include Benjamin Angel from DG TAXUD of the European Commission, Dr Kimberly Clausing from the UCLA School of Law, Dr Lúcio Vinhas de Souza from BusinessEurope and Quentin Parrinello from the EU Tax Observatory. The experts will discuss the broader consequences of these developments for international tax cooperation, as well as possible policy responses at EU level to ensure a fair and balanced global tax environment. The hearing can be followed online here.
IMCO hearing on strengthening the Single Market for services on 24 September
On 24 September 2025, from 9:45 to 11:15, the IMCO Committee of the European Parliament will hold a public hearing “Strengthening the Single Market for services”. The hearing will assess current barriers and explore actions to improve outcomes for consumers and businesses across the EU, in the context of the Commission's recent Single Market Strategy. The event will bring together representatives from the European Commission, national authorities, consumer groups and industry. The first panel will focus on barriers to intra-EU trade in services, such as regulatory restrictions, national differences, and cross-border obligations limiting providers and consumers. The second panel will explore proactive measures to enhance trade, identify priorities, and accelerate progress in reducing fragmentation and unlocking the Single Market's full potential for services. The full programme is available here.
ETACA Conference on 24 September
As EU Member States and the European Commission are preparing to launch the Second Pilot of the European Trust and Cooperation Approach (ETACA), MNEs seeking further information and considering participation are invited to a conference in Brussels on 24 September 2025. Launched in 2021, the ETACA is an EU Cooperative Compliance framework launched to facilitate and promote tax compliance by fostering greater cooperation, trust, and transparency between taxpayers and tax administrations, as well as among tax administrations themselves. The programme of the conference can be found here. Registration must be done by sending an email to [email protected] by 22 September 2025.
Sri Lanka joins OECD Global Forum on Transparency
On 18 September 2025, the OECD announced that Sri Lanka has joined the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, becoming its 173rd member. As a member, Sri Lanka will work on an equal footing with other jurisdictions to combat offshore tax evasion by implementing the internationally agreed standards on exchange of information on request (EOIR) and automatic exchange of information (AEOI). Membership gives Sri Lanka access to the Global Forum’s induction and multi-year capacity-building programmes, designed to strengthen compliance and maximize the benefits of these standards.
