LONDON // British prime minister David Cameron starts a whirlwind two-day tour of European capitals including Paris and Berlin on Thursday in a push to secure EU reforms before a referendum on whether Britain should leave the 28-nation bloc.
Mr Cameron will meet his counterpart in the Netherlands Mark Rutte for lunch in the Hague before having dinner with French president Francois Hollande in Paris.
On Friday, Mr Cameron will hold talks with Polish premier Ewa Kopacz in Warsaw before flying to Berlin to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Britain will soon hold a referendum asking voters: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?”
The vote, which is going ahead after Mr Cameron’s centre-right Conservatives won a clear majority at this month’s general election, is scheduled to take place before 2017 but could come as early as next year.
Before he left, an official said that there were “27 nuts to crack” if Mr Cameron was to secure his concessions, which he says will require treaty change, before the referendum.
But in a sign that Mr Cameron could face some obstacles during his trip, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said on Thursday that the referendum was “very risky” and “quite dangerous”.
Mr Fabius added that you could not “join a football club and decide in the middle of the match we are now going to play rugby”.
At a summit featuring EU leaders in Riga last week, Mr Cameron said he expected “ups and downs” in the renegotiation process and admitted he was not met with a “wall of love” when he arrived.
The House of Commons will start debating the referendum bill, which was published on Thursday and formally lays the groundwork for the vote, on June 9.
It will be the second full bill which parliament debates following the election.
Mr Cameron said on Wednesday that he hoped the law would pass through parliament in “extra quick time”.
The EU Referendum Bill was a “concrete step” in settling the issue, said a source from Downing Street.
“It will pave the way for the British people to have their say for the first time in 40 years on our place in the EU,” the source said.
“The question is clear. It will be for voters to decide whether to stay or leave.”
Foreign secretary Philip Hammond said there would need to be “a substantial package of reform” on Europe.
“If we are not able to deliver on these big areas of concern that the British people have, we will not win the referendum when it comes,” he told BBC radio.
Mr Cameron intends to speak to every leader of the 28-nation EU before a summit in Brussels next month which is expected to discuss the proposed British reforms.
A planned stop in Copenhagen for talks with Danish premier Helle Thorning-Schmidt on Thursday was cancelled after she called a general election for June 18.
Mr Cameron wants to secure a string of reforms from the EU before the referendum including making it harder for EU migrants to claim state benefits in Britain and opting out of the commitment to “ever closer union”.
If he can secure these, he says he will campaign to stay in the EU. Most opinion polls currently suggest voters would also back remaining part of the bloc.
* Agence France-Presse
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The five pillars of Islam
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
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- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
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- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
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- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
