The Financial Secretary to the Treasury (Mr David Gauke)
A meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council will be held in Luxembourg on 14 October 2014. Ministers will discuss the following items:
Measures in support of investment
Ministers will discuss measures in support of investment, including the Commission-EIB proposal for a new taskforce to identify significant European investments which are not being realised for economic, regulatory or other business reason.
Research and innovation as sources of renewed growth
Council will discuss a Commission communication on research and innovation, inviting views from member states on how to prioritise growth-enhancing expenditure, particularly in this area.
Follow-up to the G20 Finance Ministers and governors’ meeting and annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group in Washington
There will be an update from the Commission following the G20 Finance Ministers and governors’ meeting on 9-10 October 2014 and annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank Group on 10-12 October 2014 in Washington.
Banking union: single resolution fund contributions
The Commission will update the Council on progress towards laying the delegated act on contributions to the resolution financing arrangements under the bank recovery and resolution directive (BRRD) and the single resolution mechanism (SRM).
Business taxation
Following agreement at June ECOFIN, Ministers will be informed of progress on a joint statement between member states and Switzerland on business taxation.
Payment appropriations
The Commission will update Ministers on the state of play on payment appropriations, specifically the draft amending budget 3.
Mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation
The presidency will seek political agreement to the revised directive for administrative co-operation (DAC2), which will implement the OECD’s global standard for automatic exchange of taxpayer information (AEOI) in the EU.
Energy taxation
The presidency will present the energy tax directive, which sets minimum rates of tax for energy products used as heating fuel, motor fuel and electricity, to Council for an exchange of views.
Ministerial dialogue with EFTA countries
Ministers will meet with EEA EFTA states at this ECOFIN.