The European Commission (EC) intends to introduce a uniform European Tax Identification Number for all taxpayers. Through such number all EU Member States would have access to information about taxpayers. According to the European Commission, the system of administrative co-operation with respect to taxes functioning at present is not sufficient.

The EC justifies its proposal to introduce the European Tax Identification Number with increased migration, growing number of cross-border transactions and ineffectiveness of measures used to date to prevent tax evasion and fraud.