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Juncker urges tougher money-laundering law

13 December 2014, 00:21 CET
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(BRUSSELS) - Jean-Claude Juncker urged EU states and lawmakers Friday to back tougher money-laundering laws, which campaigners said would prevent a repeat of the "LuxLeaks" scandal putting pressure on the new European Commission chief.

He made the call in a reply to a letter from investigative journalists who pressed him on the directive, and said that it must include steps to make transparent details of the ownership of anonymous "shell companies."

"Transparency and good governance are pillars of our action" against corruption, Juncker said in his letter, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.

"That is why I am calling for the quick adoption by the European Parliament and Council of the Commission proposal to strengthen the EU anti-money laundering laws," added Juncker, who took office in November.

The letter from 43 journalists said that the LuxLeaks affair -- secret papers exposed huge tax deals given to multi-national companies in Luxembourg while Juncker was prime minister -- showed the need for transparency.

"The 'Lux Leaks' scandal is a recent example of the kind of corrosive deals that big companies are able to extract from countries when they think no one will see," it said.

The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly in March on a proposal by the previous commission of Jose Manuel Barroso to list the names of all beneficiary companies to stop money laundering.

But the new parliament elected in European elections in May and the member states have reached a fresh deal.

The campaign group ONE said member states were trying to block the transparency part of the law and accused the EU's current Italian presidency of trying to push a deal through.

"It is unbelievable that amidst the outbreaks of scandals resulting from financial secrecy, (member states are) trying to dilute the parliament's call for public disclosure of who is hiding behind anonymous companies and trusts," the group's Brussels director Tamira Gunzburg said.

The group accusd Germany, Poland and Spain of trying to block a "major advance" in transparency.


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