{\rtf1\mac\ansicpg10000\cocoartf824\cocoasubrtf330 {\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset77 Arial-BoldMT;\f1\fswiss\fcharset77 ArialMT;\f2\froman\fcharset77 TimesNewRomanPSMT; } {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;} {\info {\title EUROPEAN CTT NETWORK } {\author PeWa} {\*\company WEED}}\vieww9200\viewh8100\viewkind1\viewscale100 \hyphauto1\hyphfactor95 \deftab708 \pard\pardeftab708\qc\pardirnatural \f0\b\fs48 \cf0 EUROPEAN CTT NETWORK \ Minutes of the Meeting in Cologne, \ 28th of March 2006\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1\b0\fs24 \cf0 \ \ \f0\b Participants: \ \f1\b0 Miranda Broersen (OIKOS Netherlands), Eric Goeman (Attac Belgium), David Hillman (Stamp out Poverty, UK), Detlev von Larcher (Working Group on International Taxation of Attac Germany), Rudy de Meyer (11.11.11. Belgium), Peter Wahl (WEED Germany).\ \ \f0\b Apologies: \ \f1\b0 R\'8egis Mabilais, Christophe Ventura (both due to the General Strike in France), Ann de Jonghe, Jean Saldanha, Andrea Barranes, Francesco Padilla, Ricardo Zaldivar.\ \ \f0\b Minutes:\ \f1\b0 Peter Wahl\ \ \f0\b Agenda:\ \f1\b0 1. Assessment of Paris Conference\ 2. Upcoming events\ 3. a. Report on national situation and national activities\ \pard\pardeftab708\fi708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 b. July 1st, media/visibility when Air Ticket levy starts to operate\uc0\u8232 4. New actors/alliances\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 5. Discussion of ECTTN, how it can best position itself in this\uc0\u8232 phase after the Paris Ministerial addressing issues of capacity , office,\u8232 finance.\ \ \ \f0\b 1. Assessment of Paris Conference\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\qj\pardirnatural \cf0 1.1. Governmental level\ \f1\b0 - there is new momentum in the process,\ - France managed to make certain progress by involving some more new countries,\ \pard\pardeftab708\qj\pardirnatural \cf0 - the French strategy, to build a \'d3coalition of the willing\'d3 instead of waiting for the whole world to join in, seems to be successful, \ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\qj\pardirnatural \cf0 - given the hard line of the Bush administration there are no chances for a break through in the UN,\ - nevertheless, below that level there are opportunities to change the balance of power in the UN which should not be neglected. A UN Working Group on International tax matters has been set up. Bruno Gurtner is member. The First meeting took place half a year ago, the next meeting is in October. \ - on governmental level, there is a lack of other G 7 countries,\ - the deal with the UK is ambiguous: in substance we don\'d5t like the IFF. Although it has shrunk considerably the IFF has now secured its entering into a pilot phase in the coming months. On the other hand the deal was, for tactical reasons, unavoidable in order to reach progress in the process,\ - the quick implementation of the ticket tax neutralises the only advantage the IFF had compared to other concepts: the immediate flow of money (\'d2front loading\'d3).\ - there are differences of advancement in the different countries which we have to handle. Whereas Belgium has its CTT law and France is implementing the air ticket tax, others are not this far. \ \ \f0\b 1.2. Aspects of content \ \f1\b0 - the whole process has to be seen in the broader context of the decreasing acceptance of neo-liberal globalisation. Although Chirac will leave office in one year and is, in this respect \'d2a lame duck\'d3 he is looking for ways to regulate globalisation to a certain extent. (\'d2Following years of adhering to the widespread illusion that globalising the economy would be enough to solve all development problems, the international community is finally accepting the need for solidarity.\'d3)\ - the CTT and other more advanced projects such as action against tax evasion and capital flight remain on the agenda \ - the controversy \'d2voluntary\'d3 versus \'d2compulsory\'d3 played no role. It was taken for granted that the air ticket tax is compulsory.\ - the use of tax income and tracking the money comes to the forefront. Issues of governance, accountability and transparency are important. We must insist on them. We ask Coordination Sud to keep us informed how things develop in that respect with the Air Ticket tax.\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 - Additionality is a problem. What is additional? We should make much more clearer that additional is beyond 0,7% (in those cases where the goal has not been reached).\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\qj\pardirnatural \cf0 \ \f0\b 1.3. Civil society level\ \f1\b0 - civil society was quite well represented and visible at the conference. There were several NGO speakers in the plenary and in the working groups, which had impact,\ - there is also a new dynamic on the issue in civil society, \ - we also have to be aware of the danger of being instrumentalised by governments,\ - two communities were particularly active: the development/global justice community and single-issue (HIV/AIDS, Health) NGOs. For both of them it was a new arena but the co-operation turned out to be productive,\ - the alliance between these sectors is not automatically for granted. Whereas one stream wants to see money as soon as possible, another is more interested in the regulatory potential of taxes,\ - unfortunately the environmental movement was almost completely absent. Probably there weren\'d5t sufficient efforts from our side, to involve them, on the other hand many of them consider the air ticket tax as insufficient and the CTT as a rival to environmental taxes.\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 \ \ \f0\b 2. Upcoming events\ 2.1. Brazil conference\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\qj\pardirnatural \f1\b0 \cf0 - Coordination Sud and other NGOs have just met with the French foreign ministry. From this we have learnt that the date for the Brazil conference has moved from June to July. It is now planned as a follow-up to Paris with the focus on the implementation of the Air Ticket Tax. \ - capital flight will not be the focus, although there will be workshops on it as well as on CTT. \ - we have asked R\'8egis Mabilais to link with the Brazilian NGOs (ABONG) to keep us informed. We should think, whether we could make out of the conference more than just a replication of Paris.\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 - Peter Wahl is invited to the Brazilian Social Forum 21\super st\nosupersub - 23\super rd\nosupersub April in Recife where he will participate in an event on innovative instruments with the government and NGOs. He will use the opportunity to find out more \ \f0\b \ 2.2. Technical meetings\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\qj\pardirnatural \f1\b0 \cf0 There are two very technical meetings of the pilot group on the implementation of the IDPF. On NGO side, the AIDS community is very much involved.\ The French government will set up an electronic discussion forum which is also open for NGOs.\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 \ \f0\b 2.3. Norway\ \f1\b0 Norway is ready to take initiatives. We should discuss with them, whether:\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\qj\pardirnatural \cf0 - they would implement unilaterally a CTT,\ - they would organise the next step in the governmental process after Brazil,\ - they would give money to finance international networking of NGOs,\ - they should be invited to a meeting of our network.\ \f0\b Action: \f1\b0 David Hillman and Rudy de Meyer to contact them. \ \ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f0\b \cf0 2.4. European Social Forum\ \f1\b0 Rudy de Meyer, Eric Goeman, David Hillman, Miranda Broersen will all go to Athens. Rudy will check with the Greek branch of GCAP, whether there is a possibility to hold an event in Athens.\ \ \f0\b 2.5. Expert meeting of WEED\ \f1\b0 WEED will hold an expert meeting on innovative taxes which have up until now only been dealt with superficially, such as environmental taxes or taxation of TNCs. \ The meeting will be in Cologne. The tentative date is 31\super st\nosupersub of May. The next meeting of the ECTTN should be connected with it on June 1\super st\nosupersub .\ \ \ \f0\b 3. National situation\ 3.1. Netherlands\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1\b0 \cf0 There was a successful conference with Lieven Denys, Eric Groemann and Sony Kapoor in Amsterdam. Governmental officials were present and interested. \ Governmental representatives seem to be interested in the regulatory dimension of the CTT:\ There will be a meeting in May targeted at Parliamentarians. The Green Party is supportive and the left wing of the labour party.\ There is the problem that environmental NGOs consider CTT as a competition to environmental taxes. Therefore it is difficult to mobilise them.\ \page \f0\b 3.2. Belgium\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1\b0 \cf0 Attac Belgium is against the air ticket tax. In a recent European meeting of Attac in Madrid others such as Finland spoke out against, whereas Attac Austria, France and Germany are in favour.\ The finance minister theoretically should advocate the Belgian Law on the CTT in the EU. But as he is against, he takes no initiative.\ The same group of MPs which has promoted the CTT will now take up the issue of tax justice and evasion\ \ \f0\b 3.3. Germany\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1\b0 \cf0 The minister for Development is in favour of the air ticket tax. She has publicly committed to take an initiative. The minister of economy has publicly spoken out against it. The finance minister is \'d2in principle\'d3 in favour, but does not want to take an initiative in the foreseeable future.\ In civil society the air ticket levy is considered as an entry point but other taxes like kerosene and CTT are in the centre.\ WEED and Attac are lobbying. They will put out a press release on the 1\super st\nosupersub of July. Attac will replicate its action from Paris (throwing paper air planes) on the 1\super st\nosupersub of July.\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 \ \f0\b 3.4. UK\ \f1\b0 Stamp out Poverty are considering with Green groups in the UK starting a campaign on air fuel/kerosene taxation.\ The campaign for a \'d2Sterling Solution\'d3 had great impact, in particular through finance community insider, Avinash Persaud. \ Stamp out Poverty has increased its members from 1,500 to 4,500 in the last 3 months. 30,000 emails have been sent to the Treasury in the last few weeks asking for details about the Air Ticket levy. Since the Government position still remains unclear, written parliamentary questions have been tabled which they have to respond to in the next 2 weeks. \ Stamp Out Poverty is keen to use the term \'d4additional\'d5 finance in preference to \'d5innovative\'d5.\ \ \f0\b 3.5. Spain: \f1\b0 \ There have been two recent successful events: a conference in Madrid with David Hillman, Sony Kapoor and Jacques Cossart, attended by 150 people; and the next day a meeting with 60 Spanish parliamentarians \ However, the problem is how to turn this into an advance. We are lacking an actor from civil society with a political strategy to promote the issue. \ Given that Spain is member of the Group of Four there should be some possibilities to make progress.\ Peter Wahl will ask Jacques Cossart for advise on what we can do to improve the situation.\ \ \f0\b 3.6. Italy\ \f1\b0 If the Berlusconi regime falls with the upcoming elections there are good chances for international taxes.\ \ \ \f0\b 4. New actors/alliances\ \pard\pardeftab708\sa60\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1\b0 \cf0 There must be efforts everywhere to involve the environment community.\ In Beirut was a GCAP meeting. The campaign will continue until 2007. Language in the platform on international taxation has been strengthened. \ The Greek GCAP has a slot in the ESF. Rudy de Meyer is participating in \ 17\super th\nosupersub October World Poverty Day, which will be the peak of this year\'d5s activities.\ A link to the organisations in Finland (Patom\'8aki etc.) and the new network on financial issues is important. Peter Wahl will do it in the preparation of the expert meeting.\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 Contacts to CIDSE and CONCORD will be maintained. We shall invite them to our meetings.\ \ \ \f0\b 5. Further development of ECTTN\ \f1\b0 The name should be enhanced. Additionally to the CTT, Global taxes or international taxation should be there. The discussion will be continued and we are looking for concrete proposals. \ \ With regard to an office this will be explored in the contacts with Norway. Also other ways, such as an agreed division of labour for coordinating tasks will be discussed at the next meeting.\ We need a more systematic development of our strategy.\ \ Next meeting: 1\super st\nosupersub June in Cologne.\ \ \pard\pardeftab708\qr\pardirnatural \fs18 \cf0 Berlin, 28.3.2006\ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \fs24 \cf0 \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f2 \cf0 PAGE \ \pard\tqc\tx4536\tqr\tx9072\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1 \cf0 \ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 \ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f2 \cf0 PAGE 1\ \pard\tqc\tx4536\tqr\tx9072\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \f1 \cf0 \ \pard\pardeftab708\ql\qnatural\pardirnatural \cf0 \ \ \pard\pardeftab708\qr\pardirnatural \fs18 \cf0 \ }