Switzerland must prove it is acting to comply with OECD standards on tax co-operation, said the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) chief Angel Gurria.
The countries the OECD was examining had to prove that they are acting very fast to fulfil their commitment, Gurria told Swiss newspaper Le Temps in an interview in French published on the paper's website, when asked how Switzerland could get off the so-called "grey list".
This OECD list – endorsed by the G20 in early April – includes bank secrecy strongholds such as Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein that have committed to co-operate more on fighting tax dodging but have not yet adopted transparency standards.
The countries have to incorporate OECD standards in 12 tax treaties to be placed on the "white" list of compliant countries and avert sanctions. However, Gurria emphasised that the number of tax agreements were not the sole criterium. "Even if a country finds itself still with zero agreements in six months due to its political process it does not have to mean that nothing has been done," Gurria said.
A spokeswoman for the German Finance Ministry confirmed reports that Switzerland will not be invited to the next OECD tax summit in Berlin in June.
"The summit in Berlin is a follow-up to the meeting last October in Paris," said spokeswoman Jeanette Schwamberger.
"The participants, which have been in Paris, will be invited. This is an organisational question and not a political signal."
Switzerland and other OECD members like Austria and Luxembourg did not attend the meeting in Paris last year, where France and especially Germany launched a push for a much tougher stance against tax havens.
A spokeswoman for the Swiss Finance Ministry said Switzerland was assessing whether to ask for an invitation to the Berlin summit.
Switzerland, the world's largest offshore centre, agreed in March to incorporate for the first time international standards for greater tax transparency and cooperation into new double taxation agreements it will negotiate with major partners. However, Swiss officials have highlighted that finalising agreements may take time due to the political process in Switzerland, which often includes a referendum.
OECD head Gurria said in any case the Swiss should not launch some sort of retaliation against the organisation in reaction to the tax issue.
"The last thing needed is to engage in some sort of war with the OECD," Gurria said.
"Let us stop engaging in formalities, procedures and rather concentrate on the size of the task ahead of us and the consequences of a failure."
Switzerland vetoed an OECD budget line of €134,800 (Dh645,845), which the organisation has earmarked for G20-related work. The OECD budget needs approval from all 30 of its members, which include all of world's wealthy economies.
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