Translation of "Traitement fiscal des gains en capital " (French → English) :

24. Considers that initiatives for more effective corporate taxation should include proposals to improve the business environment for start-ups such as tax incentives for investors to reinvest capital gains in higher-risk small Union businesses or clarified taxation rules for share options;

31. acknowledges the challenge of ageing populations; emphasises the importance of collective second pillar occupational pensions in addition to proper solidarity-based first-pillar pension schemes, and endorses Directive 2003/41/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 June 2003 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision as the specific regulatory framework for pension funds; urges the Commission to explore the possibility, within the framework of better regulation, and in order to promote supervisory convergence across the European Union and to prevent unequal ...[+++]treatment of market players and distortions of competition, of supplementing that Directive with a harmonised solvency framework for pension funds in line with the Solvency II approach, in order to provide for advanced risk management techniques as well as disincentives for regulatory arbitrage by establishing equal supervision requirements both from a qualitative point of view, in terms of risk management standards, and quantitatively, as regards capital requirements ("same risk, same capital"), taking into account the specific features of occupational retirement provision; reiterates that such a legislative framework must be supported by the coordination of taxation, especially concentrating on the tax base;

31. acknowledges the challenge of ageing populations; emphasises the importance of collective second pillar occupational pensions in addition to proper solidarity-based first-pillar pension schemes, and endorses Directive 2003/41/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 June 2003 on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision as the specific regulatory framework for pension funds; urges the Commission to explore the possibility, within the framework of better regulation, and in order to promote supervisory convergence across the European Union and to prevent unequal ...[+++]treatment of market players and distortions of competition, of supplementing that Directive with a harmonised solvency framework for pension funds in line with the Solvency II approach, in order to provide for advanced risk management techniques as well as disincentives for regulatory arbitrage by establishing equal supervision requirements both from a qualitative point of view, in terms of risk management standards, and quantitatively, as regards capital requirements ("same risk, same capital"), taking into account the specific features of occupational retirement provision; reiterates that such a legislative framework must be supported by the coordination of taxation, especially concentrating on the tax base;

30. acknowledges the challenge of ageing; emphasises the importance of collective second pillar occupational pensions in addition to proper solidarity-based first-pillar pension schemes, and endorses Directive 2003/41/EC on the activities and supervision of institutions for occupational retirement provision as the specific regulatory framework for pension funds; urges the Commission to explore the possibility, within the framework of better regulation, in order to promote supervisory convergence across the European Union and to prevent unequal treatment of market ...[+++] players and distortions of competition, to supplement that Directive with a harmonised solvency framework for pension funds in line with the Solvency II approach, in order to provide for advanced risk management techniques as well as disincentives for regulatory arbitrage by establishing equal supervision requirements both from the qualitative point of view, in terms of risk management standards, and quantitatively, as regards capital requirements (‘same risk, same capital’), taking into account the specific features of occupational retirement provision; and reiterates that such a legislative framework must be supported by the coordination of taxation, especially concentrating on the tax base;

It is believed that shifting from direct to indirect taxation, i.e. from employees and economic performance towards consumption, could substantially reduce the overall tax burdens on income and capital and therefore, by causing less disincentives to work or set up business, rise the long-run economic potential, growth and employment.

The following measures and reforms in Member States are of particular importance with a view to risk capital activities. Germany has reduced its corporate (in stages until 2005) and income tax rates and will eliminate taxation of sales of shares by corporations as from 2002. France has also reduced its corporate and income tax and increased tax benefits granted to reinvesting business angels. Italy has granted favourable tax treatment to closed-end investment funds. Spain has granted tax incentives to registered venture capital invest ...[+++]ors.