European Union leaders must go beyond promises when they tackle the issue of tax evasion at a Brussels summit this week, several leading EU parliamentarians urged Tuesday - hours after internet giant Apple was accused of dodging US income taxes, dpa reported. But EU diplomats warned that the summit on Wednesday is not designed to deliver new ways of cracking down on tax cheats, but rather to give fresh "impetus" to ministers and others who do the dirty work in the complex area of taxation. "This will not all be solved in one discussion, but there is a growing political momentum to make progress on these issues," noted one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are moving forward step by step." All agree that tax evasion, which costs the EU an estimated 1trillion euros (1.3 trillion dollars) annually, has to be fought. But how to do so has proven tricky, with bank secrecy stalwarts Austriaand Luxembourg keen to remain attractive banking destinations. -- SPA 23:21 LOCAL TIME 20:21 GMT تغريد
