Ethics and governance in the European Financial centers

“When one is banker, it is necessary to know to have blinkers”: This is what said last Tuesday a former head of Paribas at a trial that is taking place in Paris. For the charge, the bankers of Paribas closed the eyes on the trade of weapons which they could not be unaware of as the media had reported the issue.

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The French government and other goverments are willing to fight tax havens and offshore jurisdictions.

Great !

But the current debate focuses on the "most nocive" tax havens and offshore jurisdictions and on jurisdictions that were targeted by the US Senate i.e Switzerland and Liechenstein.

What is the use of closing the "most nocive" tax havens and offshore jurisdictions if more respectable jurisdictions with similar business model remains all the more than these jurisdictions supports the others (e.g. Luxembourg supports Switzerland and Liechenstein, accepts the creation of firms linked to exotic jurisdiction that are not controlled, is reluctant to implement controlling ruled while implementing faster rules in favor of the business...) ?

If the question of tax havens and offshore jurisdictions is limited to the "most nocive", abuses will only move to these respectable jurisdictions to favour their growth without ethics.

The French chapter of Transparency International is organising a meeting with others NGO and non profit making societies

Their concern is that in the press release after the meeting that took place in Paris last Sunday between the G7, the IMF and Eurogroup, there is nothing about the fight against tax havens and other offshore centers that are a threat for the international finance.

TI France explains that in these financial centers reign indeed opacity, the absence of rules and, often, the refusal of co-operation with the other jurisdictions.

Contrary to Transparency International I am not astonished by the absence by any reference and decision relating to tax havens and other offshore centers.

Mr Juncker chairs the Eurogroup. He is Prime Minister of a jurisdiction that publicly and/or officially :
- stated it is not compelled to communicate clients' data
- stated it is not its duty to control if the taxpayer was honest
- ignores currently the liability of legal persons for criminal offences
- is full of conflicts of interests not to say corruption situations because of the small size and networks
- accepts the creation of companies linked to offshore jurisdictions (BVI, Seychelles...) by professionals that are neither members of the IRE (institute of chartered auditors) nor the OEC (institute of chartered accountants)
- accepts statutory auditors that are neither members of the IRE (institute of chartered auditors) nor the OEC (institute of chartered accountants)
- considers as vague and ambiguous offences like forgery, use of forgery, false balance sheets, use of false balance sheets or unauthorized use of corporate property
- has a restrictive definition of CSR that ignores business ethics
- does not publish online company accounts
- does not publish online judiciary judgements
- does not report a credible number of declarations of suspicion
- provided a "generous grant" to the FATF while not respecting GRECO and OECD Working Group on bribery Recs
- has a telling lack of prosecutions and convictions for a country that boasts such a large financial sector
- AND SO ON.

That is a lot for a small jursidiction of 2500 Km2.

That is Luxembourg with no will to change.