London, Sept. 19 (SANA) EU Tax Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra ruled out the immediate adoption of a unified tax on major technology companies such as Amazon, Google, and Meta, stressing the need to exhaust all avenues toward a global solution before considering a unilateral European move.
In remarks to the Financial Times published on Saturday Hoekstra emphasized that a multilateral approach remains “by far the best option,” referring to the 2021 agreement among more than 130 countries to tax multinational corporations’ profits in the markets where they generate sales, known as the OECD’s Pillar One framework.
Despite renewed pressure from France to push Brussels toward a joint digital tax, Hoekstra’s stance reflects caution over escalating economic tensions with Washington. France argues that such a levy would generate significant revenue and ease burdens on European taxpayers.
Paris continues to advocate strongly for an EU‑wide digital tax, backed by the European Parliament. However, the move risks intensifying disputes with the United States, which has consistently opposed measures perceived as targeting its multinational firms. Several European countries, including France, Italy, Spain, and Austria, already impose digital taxes, prompting Washington to launch Section 301 investigations that could lead to retaliatory tariffs.
The strain deepened after US President Donald Trump described EU support for Canada’s bid to join as an associate member as a hostile act, threatening severe tariffs against the bloc. France maintains that a unified tax would shield member states from bilateral retaliation and strengthen the EU’s future budget, with Commission estimates suggesting potential annual revenues of around €5 billion.
OECD Tax Director Manal Corwin confirmed that constructive talks are ongoing to address the fiscal challenges of digitalization, stressing the importance of a multilateral framework to reduce fragmentation, avoid unilateral approaches, and ensure a stable and transparent tax environment.
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