Europe cannot prosper under the weight of unnecessary complexity.

Business & Science Poland is among 23 leading European business, financial and professional associations that have signed a joint statement addressing Member States on the matter of simplifying the EU tax framework and removing obstacles to regaining business competitiveness.

With the publishing of the Tax Simplification Package in June of 2026, the European Commission has taken a step in the right direction - creating a more coherent, transparent and less burdensome tax framework for EU companies. A tax framework which does not penalise European entrepreneurship with withholding taxes that hold back investment or with duplicate reporting to tax administrations, nor encumber innovation-driving companies by delaying the deduction of their R&D investment.

Positions published by several Member States point to watering down of the simplifying effect of the Commission’s package, as to the shareholding thresholds and scope of the amendments. In the statement, we call upon Member States in the Council to uphold the level of ambition of the Commission’s proposal, so that the EU can finally deliver on its simplifying and pro-competitiveness agenda objectives, rather than just preserving the burdensome status quo under a new label.

Polish companies are both expanding into other Member States and financed by European investors. As an economy deeply integrated into European capital flows, with foreign direct investment worth almost 40% of GDP, Poland stands to gain from removing withholding-tax barriers and simplifying relief procedures, which would lower the cost of cross-border investment and financing.

Read the joint statement.