EU tax chief wants quick breakthrough on tax haven blacklist

The European Union's chief taxation official says he wants a blacklist of uncooperative tax havens before the end of the year.

EU Taxation Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told the EU's parliament on Tuesday that the revelations in the Paradise Papers on widespread tax dodging by multinationals and the wealthy show that change must come soon.

Moscovici also said he wanted strict rules on more transparency for agents who work on "fiscal optimization" for their wealthy clients.

High-tax countries like France have pushed for the blacklist and a Europe-wide crackdown on tax havens. Lower-tax countries like Ireland and the Netherlands argue that will hurt Europe's competitiveness.