The Netherlands and the other Benelux countries worked together systematically to block discussions about controversial tax agreements within the EU, according to German news magazine Der Spiegel.

The magazine says Luxembourg and the Netherlands refused to reveal information about tax rulings for major corporations as far back as 2010, four years prior to the LuxLeaks scandal.

The new revelations, the magazine says, are highly sensitive.

‘It’s not just European Commission President Juncker whose past as the leader of the tax-haven Luxembourg is catching up to him. Another important man at the top of an EU institution also now has some uncomfortable questions to answer: Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem. Even after ascending to his current position as head of the Euro Group, his country continued to block every call for change,’ Der Spiegel says.

The Dutch finance ministry told Trouw it did not ‘recognise’ the picture painted by the German magazine.

Last month, the European Commission ruled a tax deal struck between the Netherlands and Starbucks amounted to illegal state support.

Read the article (English)