> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://balboa.news/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# EU to Review Panama’s Tax-List Status on October 9
- URL: https://balboa.news/eu-to-review-panamas-tax-list-status-on-october-9/
- Published: 2026-09-29T13:46:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-29T13:46:56.000Z
- Author: Balboa News Desk
- Tags: Economy

European Union finance ministers are scheduled to review Panama’s continued inclusion on the bloc’s tax blacklist on October 9, giving the country a near-term test of whether its latest reforms have satisfied European concerns.

Panama is one of 10 jurisdictions on the EU’s current list of countries deemed non-cooperative for tax purposes, which was adopted on February 17\. The list assesses areas including tax transparency, fair taxation and measures designed to prevent companies from shifting profits artificially.

The EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council, known as ECOFIN, is expected to consider its latest biannual revision at an October 9 meeting. Draft conclusions have been prepared, but their contents have not been made public. There is therefore no official confirmation that Panama will be removed.

Dutch member of the European Parliament Álvaro Sebastian Kruis has publicly called for Panama’s exclusion from the list. In an interview published by *La Estrella de Panamá* on September 29, Kruis said the country had made significant changes and should receive recognition for its progress.

Kruis, a member of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, said he had submitted written questions to the European Commission. He had not received an answer at the time of publication. His intervention represents political advocacy and not a decision by the institutions responsible for revising the list.

Panama enacted Law 526 on May 28 as part of its response to international tax concerns. The legislation requires certain Panamanian entities belonging to multinational groups and receiving passive income from abroad to demonstrate genuine economic activity and meet reporting requirements to retain their tax treatment.

The dispute is separate from the European Union’s high-risk list for money laundering and terrorist financing. Panama was removed from that list in 2025, following its exit from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list in October 2023.

Continued inclusion on the EU tax list can cause reputational damage, increased scrutiny and restrictions involving some European funding. Whether Law 526 is sufficient to secure removal should become clearer when EU finance ministers meet on October 9.

**Sources:** La Estrella, EU Council