Mr. Alain Lamassoure:

For a very simple reason, we do not have the figures and the expertise. The figures are available only in the member states and the member states do not want to publish their figures, particularly those which do not want to participate in the CCCTB. They use the argument that as long as we do not have an impact study, it is impossible to take a decision. This is correct but neither the Parliament nor the Commission has the tax documents, the figures and the information enabling them and us to make an impact assessment and as which the Deputy ask rightly, produce an analysis, both country by country and big corporation by big corporation, of this reform.

Perhaps I could add a comment on sovereignty. I do not mind sovereignty - I apologise for being a bit provocative. I do not know what sovereignty means in a world at peace. One should beware of discussing at length the principle of sovereignty without taking into account what happened in the United Kingdom. On the principle of sovereignty, the British decided to leave the European Union. Now they realise that, in leaving the Union, they are leaving their real sovereignty. Theoretically, they will regain the power to decide, for instance, on financial regulations, in Westminster and no longer in the EU. If, however, they use this regained sovereignty to adopt financial regulations in Westminster applying only in the United Kingdom, the huge influence of the city of London in all the euro area will shrink to the size of the United Kingdom, and possibly only to England and no longer to the other nations of the United Kingdom. I am sovereign in France on tax issues but, being sovereign, I cannot prevent my neighbour's country from stealing tax away from France for his country. Sovereignty does not mean anything anymore among ourselves. Personally, I leave sovereignty and the debate on sovereignty to the sovereignists. I am not interested at all.

I do not need a transfer of sovereignty to make the European Union function. What I need is a clear separation and distribution of competences between the member states and the Union. We have full competence on some issues for the Union. Most competences are full competences of the member states. It is the case for 90% of tax competences. There are shared competences. We must find the best way, and the best level according to the principle of subsidiarity, to tackle the issue and take up the challenges ahead of us but let us not waste too much time on discussing the sovereignty principle as I do not know what it means.