Legal provisions of COM(2018)298 - Amendment of the VAT Directive as regards application of the reverse charge mechanism for products susceptible to fraud and of the Quick Reaction Mechanism against VAT fraud

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Article 1

Directive 2006/112/EC is amended as follows:

(1)in Article 199a(1), the introductory words are replaced by the following:

‘Until 30 June 2022, Member States may provide that the person liable for the payment of VAT is the taxable person to whom any of the following supplies are made:’;

(2)Article 199b is replaced by the following:

‘Article 199b

1. A Member State may, in cases of imperative urgency and in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3, designate the recipient as the person liable to pay VAT on specific supplies of goods and services by derogation from Article 193 as a Quick Reaction Mechanism (QRM) special measure to combat sudden and massive fraud liable to lead to considerable and irreparable financial losses.

The QRM special measure shall be subject to appropriate control measures by the Member State with respect to taxable persons who supply the goods or services to which that measure applies, and shall be for a period not exceeding nine months.

2. A Member State wishing to introduce a QRM special measure as provided for in paragraph 1 shall send a notification to the Commission using the standardised form established in accordance with paragraph 4 and at the same time send it to the other Member States. The Member State shall provide the Commission with the information indicating the sector concerned, the type and the features of the fraud, the existence of imperative grounds of urgency, the sudden and massive character of the fraud and its consequences in terms of considerable and irreparable financial losses. If the Commission considers that it does not have all the necessary information, it shall contact the Member State concerned within two weeks of receipt of the notification and specify what additional information is required. Any additional information provided by the Member State concerned to the Commission shall at the same time be sent to the other Member States. If the additional information provided is not sufficient, the Commission shall inform the Member State concerned thereof within one week.

The Member State wishing to introduce a QRM special measure as provided for in paragraph 1 of this Article shall at the same time also make an application to the Commission in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 395(2) and (3).

In cases of imperative urgency as set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, the procedure laid down in Article 395(2) and (3) shall be completed within six months of receipt of the application by the Commission.

3. Once the Commission has all the information it considers necessary for appraisal of the notification referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2, it shall notify the Member States thereof. Where it objects to the QRM special measure, it shall produce a negative opinion within one month of that notification, and shall inform the Member State concerned and the VAT Committee thereof. Where the Commission does not object, it shall confirm this in writing to the Member State concerned and to the VAT Committee within the same time period. The Member State may adopt the QRM special measure from the date of receipt of that confirmation. In appraising the notification, the Commission shall take into account the views of any other Member State sent to it in writing.

4. The Commission shall adopt an implementing act establishing a standardised form for the submission of the notification for the QRM special measure referred to in paragraph 2 and of the information referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2. That implementing act shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in paragraph 5.

5. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (*1) shall apply and for this purpose the committee shall be the committee established by Article 58 of Council Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 (*2).

6. The QRM special measure as provided for in paragraph 1 shall apply until 30 June 2022.

(*1)  Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13)."

(*2)  Council Regulation (EU) No 904/2010 of 7 October 2010 on administrative cooperation and combating fraud in the field of value added tax (OJ L 268, 12.10.2010, p. 1).’;"

(3)in Article 395, paragraph 5 is deleted.

Article 2

This Directive shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 3

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.