Belmopan, October 9, 2026.
The Government of Belize welcomes today’s decision by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council of the European Union (ECOFIN) to remove Belize from Annex II of the Council conclusions on the EU list of non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes.
Annex II identifies cooperative jurisdictions that have outstanding commitments relating to tax good governance. Belize’s removal confirms that it has fulfilled its commitment under criterion 1.2 concerning the exchange of information on request.
The decision follows the supplementary peer review conducted by the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes. In its report published on April 29, 2026, the Global Forum upgraded Belize’s overall rating from “Partially Compliant” to “Largely Compliant”.
Following that assessment, the Code of Conduct Group concluded that Belize had achieved compliance with criterion 1.2 and should be removed from Annex II. On August 31, 2026, the Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, wrote to the President of ECOFIN seeking the formal completion of that process. The Code of Conduct Group subsequently confirmed that it would recommend Belize’s removal at the October meeting of ECOFIN.
Commenting on the decision, Prime Minister Briceño stated:
“Today’s decision brings the EU process into line with Belize’s successful supplementary review and the progress our country has made. It reflects the sustained work undertaken across Government to strengthen our laws, systems, and institutional capacity for tax transparency and the effective exchange of information. We welcome the European Union’s recognition of that progress and remain committed to maintaining the international standards expected of Belize.”
The Prime Minister commended the Financial Services Commission for its leadership and the sustained technical work it undertook throughout the review process. He also acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Finance and the contributions of the other public authorities and regulatory bodies involved in securing this outcome.
Belize will continue to implement the recommendations of the Global Forum and to strengthen the effectiveness of its tax transparency framework. Today’s decision brings to a close the matter arising from Belize’s 2023 exchange-of-information rating and removes the country’s remaining commitment under the EU tax-listing process.
Ends
