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A sandbar off the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman
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The British Cayman Islands and the Sultanate of Oman are no longer on the black list of tax havens.
This was announced by the EU Council.
The two areas have therefore implemented the required tax policy reforms.
At the same time, the EU member states decided to add the British Caribbean island of Anguilla and the island state of Barbados to the list.
These did not, or only partially, meet international tax policy standards.
There are now twelve countries on the EU's black list.
In addition to Anguilla and Barbados, these are the US Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Fiji, Guam, Palau, Panama, Samoa, the Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago and Vanuatu.
The Cayman Islands were only added to the list in February directly after Brexit.
Until then, it had not been possible to include them because they were part of the EU as a British overseas territory.
The fact that no areas of the European Union are allowed to be on the list has been a central point of criticism for years.
The Oxfam organization also criticized the decision to move to the Cayman Islands.
The group of islands in the Caribbean are "one of the most notorious tax havens in the world."
The decision is "further evidence" that the EU's action against tax havens does not work.
EU relies on pillory effect
At the end of 2017, the EU tightened its pace against tax havens.
It was triggered by revelations such as the so-called Panama and Paradise Papers.
With their black list, the Europeans are putting on a pillory effect and at the same time trying to persuade the countries and regions to change their tax legislation through political pressure.
Sanctions against uncooperative countries are only possible to a limited extent.
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bah / Reuters / AFP
