Conference: Transfer Pricing in the European Union

Join leading policymakers, academics, and industry experts for a high-level conference dedicated to one of the most dynamic and complex areas of international taxation: transfer pricing in the European Union.

As the EU continues to refine its tax framework and strengthen coordination across Member States, multinational enterprises face an increasingly intricate landscape. This conference offers a unique opportunity to gain insights into the latest policy developments, practical challenges, and strategic considerations shaping transfer pricing across Europe.

Conference overview

The objective of this conference is to discuss the transfer pricing landscape in the European Union from an EU Policy and Practice perspective, in particular, by focusing on the key challenges faced by multinational enterprises operating in the EU internal market. 

After a key note chat / debate, topics that will be discussed include the day-to-day transfer pricing challenges faced by MNEs in the EU; the interaction between transfer pricing rules and the broader EU Legal framework (e.g. State Aid and EU directives such as the GloBE directive and ATAD); transfer pricing and the broader transparency agenda (e.g. Exchange of Information, CBCR and other reporting obligations); and managing transfer pricing controversy in the EU.

The event will feature leading policymakers, representatives of tax administrations/competent authorities, academics and practitioners as speakers. The event will also offer a unique opportunity to discuss policy ideas and the evolving landscape of tax coordination in EU.

Moreover, during this event, the organizers will present a book on “Transfer Pricing in the European Union” which has been edited by Mauro Faggion (EU Commission), Prof Dr Vikram Chand (UNIL), Dr. Stefan Greil (German Tax Administration) and Dr. Raffaele Petruzzi (WU Vienna). 

Conference agenda

08.15 - 08.45 Registration and Welcome Coffee  

08.45 - 09.00 Welcome Adress 

• Prof. Dr. Jean Philippe Van West (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB) 
• Prof. Dr Vikram Chand (University of Lausanne - UNIL; Government Advisor /Independent Expert on International Tax Dispute Management) 
• Dr. Raffaele Petruzzi (Vienna University of Economics and Business  - WU) 

09.00 – 09.30 Opening: Taxation of MNEs in the EU – Future Direction

• Interview with Benjamin Angel, Director Direct Taxation European Commission By Prof. Dr. Vikram Chand 

09.30 – 11.00 Transfer Pricing in the EU: Practical Challenges and Way Forward  

• Moderator: Emmanuel Llinares –  Senior Managing Director Nera 
• Setting the scene: Dr. Raffaele Petruzzi 
• Panel: 
  • Mariella Caruana – Deputy Director, Taxation at BusinessEurope 
  • Steven Van Elsuwe – Policy Advisor Belgian Ministry of Finance 
  • Klara Kowalska - Deputy Director International Tax Department Polish Ministry of Finance 
  • Veronika Daurer – Deputy Head International Tax Department Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance 
  • Sebastiaan de Buck – Global Head of Tax Unilever 

11.00 – 11.30 Coffee break 

11.30 – 13.00 Transfer Pricing and the EU Legal Framework: Emerging issues on the Interaction with Primary and Secondary Law 

• Moderator: Gilles Franssens–  Partner PwC Belgium 
• Setting the scene: Prof. Dr. Jean-Philippe Van West  
• Panel:
  • Paolo Arginelli, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore 
  • Alessandro Denaro – EU Commission, DG Competition – Fiscal aid and aggressive tax planning
  • Prof. Dr. Svitlana Buriak – Amsterdam University  
  • Prof. Dr. Jerome Monsenego – Stockholm University  
  • Gert Boulangé – Head of Global Tax Policy & Controversy AB InBev  

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch Break  

14.00 – 15.30 The EU Transparency: from Reporting obligation to exchange of information and transfer pricing audits 

• Moderator: Melanie Appuhn-Schneider –  Partner WTS 
• Setting the scene: Mauro Faggion - European Commission 
• Panel: 
  • Adrian Kelly – DG TAXUD European Commission  
  • Brigitta Beres-Molnar - Head of Transfer Pricing Hungarian Ministry of Finance 
  • Inmaculada Mut Aguilar – Deputy Head of the International Tax Office, Spanish Tax Agency 
  • Isabel Verlinden – Partner NOEMA Global Tax & Policy 
  • Dennis Beyers – Head of Tax UCB 

15.30 – 16.00 Coffee break 

16.00 – 17.45 Managing Double Taxation in the EU: Dispute Prevention and Resolution Mechanisms 

• Moderator:  Natalie Reypens – Partner Loyens & Loeff 
• Setting the scene: Prof. Dr. Vikram Chand 
• Panel:
  • Helen Pahapill – Tax Policy Advisor Estonian Ministry of Finance  
  • Monica Todose  – MAP Rumanian Tax Authority 
  • Arnim Hilse – Head of MAP German Tax Authority 
  • Joost Engelmoer – Netherlands Tax Administration and Tilburg University  
  • Avni Dika – Head of Transfer Pricing  Syngenta  
  • Aurelio Massimiano – Partner Maisto e Associati 

17.45 – 18.00 Closing remarks 

18.00 – 19.00 Apero 

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