We are happy to inform you, not only on the latest activities of the ETC, but also on some activities of the EUCOTAX Network and on some international activities of the tax departments of both K.U. Leuven and Tilburg University.

Best regards,

Prof. Luc De Broe, Prof. Peter Essers, Prof. Eric Kemmeren, and Prof. Frans Vanistendael

This newsletter contains the following subjects:  

  Oratio PwC Professor European Tax College
  Prof. Em. F. Vanistendael Lectures on European and International Taxation
  European Tax College – Special Subject Courses
  Moot Court Competition 2009
  EUCOTAX Winter Course Project
  European Pension Debate

For the academic year 2008-2009, the PwC Professor is Prof. Michael Lang from Vienna. On 6 March 2009, he will deliver his inaugural address in Belgium at K.U. Leuven from 15:30-16:30 hrs in the Promotiezaal; Hallen, Naamsestraat 22, B-3000 in Leuven. For further information, please check http://rechten.uvt.nl/wintercourse/PwCChair.htm or contact Ingrid Matthys at Ingrid.Matthys@law.kuleuven.be.

On March 6th, the second Prof. em. Fr. Vanistendael Lectures in International and European Tax law will take place with a seminar on: Does the European Court of Justice speak with a forked tongue? Prof. Michael Lang’s inaugural address is part of the programme. For further information, please check the brochure on http://www.law.kuleuven.be/eutax/2009/folder-RV-Pservice%20na%20correctie.pdf or please contact Ingrid Matthys at Ingrid.Matthys@law.kuleuven.be.

The European Tax College is continuing its second semester. The second semester exists, inter alia, of 3 Special Subject Courses. The second course started on 16 February 2009 and will focus on Hybrid Entities and Financial Instruments, with Stijn Vanoppen as coordinator. Other lecturers are Prof. David Southern (UK), Prof. Jan van der Geld and Prof. Ton Stevens (NL), Prof. Pasquale Pistone (I), Thomas Humphreys (USA), Dr. Matthias Geurts (GER) and Jacques Taquet (FR). For additional information, please check the website www.europeantaxcollege.com or contact Eva Schupp at e.e.schupp@uvt.nl.

On 16 March 2009, the course Transfer Pricing will start with Prof. Hubert Hamaekers as coordinator. Lecturers will be, among others: Pim Fris, Xavier van Vlem, Giammarco Cottani LL.M (Leuven/Tilburg), Wolfgang Bütnner and Hugo Vollebregt. For additional information and enrolment, please check the website www.europeantaxcollege.com or contact Eva Schupp at e.e.schupp@uvt.nl.

The European and International Tax Moot Court Competition will take place from 1 March until 7 March 2009. The participants are students from 11 universities from 8 different countries. The final round is on 7 March and the whole competition will take place at K.U. Leuven. For further information please check the site www.law.kuleuven.be/eutax/index.html or contact Ingrid Matthys at Ingrid.Matthys@law.kuleuven.be.

This year, students from eleven participating universities cooperating in the EUCOTAX network will come together in Barcelona, Spain. From 14 April to 23 April 2009, students will make a legal comparison on this year’s theme: ‘The Limits to Tax Planning, Minimizing Taxes and Corporate Social Responsibility’. They will identify differences and similarities between their tax systems, analyze and evaluate them, and will come with suggestions for changes in a European and global context. For further information, please check http://www.wintercourse.com or contact Eva Schupp at e.e.schupp@uvt.nl.

The CompetenceCentre for Pension Research of Tilburg University, a part of Fiscal Institute Tilburg, organizes the 6th European Pension Debate on 3 April 2009 on: What is the best location for pan-European pension funds? For further information please check http://www.uvt.nl/faculteiten/frw/onderzoek/ccp/epd/.