EU lawmakers have proposed a European Union-wide tax on large tech companies and online gambling sites to fund the upcoming seven-year budget.
The EU is currently facing one of its biggest funding challenges regarding the 2028-2034 budget, which has been set at €2trn ($2.3trn). This figure includes around €168bn earmarked for repayments linked to Covid-19 recovery borrowing.
Romanian MEP Siegfried Muresan stated: “We believe that tech giants carry out significant activity in Europe from which they generate considerable profits. It is therefore justified that they contribute in the form of taxes to the EU single market budget, which enables their activity.”
Munesan leads the budget talks along with Portuguese Carla Tavares. He belongs to the biggest conservative grouping, the EPP.
Tavares announced that the centre-left Socialists and Democrats group is advocating for a tax on online gambling.
However, any new taxation framework would require unanimous approval from EU member states, which have historically been hesitant to support EU-wide tax initiatives.
Nevertheless, experts caution that the proposal to tax digital giants could further strain the already tense relations between Europe and the United States.
Parliamentarians are seeking increased funding for crucial sectors, including agriculture, territorial and social cohesion and research, among others
The parliament's Budget Committee is currently negotiating its position and is expected to vote on the text on April 15, before a vote by all EU lawmakers later this month, Muresan stated.
Other developments in the EU gambling market include a new European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) framework, which is set to be gradually implemented starting on July 10, 2027.
The Dutch regulator KSA and Denmark’s Spillemyndigheden have launched a European communications network involving seven regulators
