The Council of the European Union has updated the list of jurisdictions that do not cooperate with the EU on tax matters, adding Vietnam and the Turks and Caicos Islands and removing Fiji, Samoa, and Trinidad and Tobago. This was reported on the European Council's website, according to UNN.
Details
The decision was adopted on February 17, 2026, and will enter into force after official publication in the Official Journal of the EU. After the update, the list of jurisdictions that do not cooperate with the European Union on tax matters includes 10 countries and territories.
The EU Council explained that the list is part of the European Union's policy to combat tax evasion, tax abuse, and unfair tax competition. Jurisdictions that have not fulfilled their commitments to comply with international standards of tax governance or have refused to cooperate with the EU are included in the list.
At the same time, countries that agree to reforms but have not yet fully completed them are included in a separate list with a status of commitment fulfillment. After full compliance with the requirements, such jurisdictions are excluded from the main list.
The EU regularly reviews the list of tax havens as part of a dynamic monitoring mechanism. Since 2020, the list has been updated twice a year. The next review is scheduled for October 2026.
The EU Council also emphasized that being on the list entails the application of a number of protective measures, particularly in tax and non-taxonomic areas. EU member states can strengthen financial controls, limit tax benefits, and apply additional requirements to transactions with jurisdictions that do not cooperate on tax matters.
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