Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra has pushed back against concerns that the EU is preparing to introduce new forms of property taxation or create a pan-European asset monitoring system, reassuring citizens and small business owners that direct taxation remains a national competence. In a written answer to a question from Greek MEP Emmanouil Fragkos (ECR), Hoekstra confirmed that the Commission has no plans to interconnect national asset registers or harmonise capital taxes, though it will continue to support Member States in reforming tax systems to improve housing affordability.
The answer, published on 17 July 2026, responds to Fragkos's question which warned of a 'broader political direction aiming to strengthen economic control over citizens and centralise tax powers at European level'. Hoekstra cited a recent Commission study on wealth taxation which found 'no one-size-fits-all measure', and noted that the 2025 Affordable Housing Plan commits the Commission to working with Member States within the European Semester on tax reforms. He also referenced a feasibility study on asset registers, stating that while interconnection is technically possible, it would need to be assessed against EU law, including the principle of necessity.
Hoekstra emphasised that the existing Directive on Administrative Cooperation (DAC) already allows Member States to exchange information on non-resident owners of immovable property, and that the Commission favours using this instrument rather than creating new centralised databases. On the question of competence, he stated unequivocally that under current EU law, direct taxation remains largely a Member State competence, with Member States designing their own tax systems autonomously while complying with Treaty principles of non-discrimination and proportionality.
The answer contains no concrete proposals for new EU-level tax measures, instead reaffirming existing frameworks and studies. It signals that the Commission is not currently pursuing the centralisation of tax powers or the creation of interconnected asset registers, but will continue to encourage tax reforms through the European Semester and administrative cooperation. Institutional follow-up is likely to focus on the implementation of the Affordable Housing Plan and further use of the DAC, rather than any new legislative initiatives on wealth or property taxation.