The European Union gave the Meloni government's move the go-ahead, albeit with several concerns. The 2023 draft budget legislation has been passed, but several provisions—such as those relating to pensions, tax evasion, and the POS—have drawn criticism. There are actions "that are not in accordance" with the particular recommendations for Italy in relation to the fight against tax evasion in the strategy that was transmitted to Brussels. The measure that increases the cash limit from 2 to 5 thousand euros in 2023, the "amnesty-equivalent" policy of canceling tax obligations of less than 1,000 euros dating to 2000-2015, and the cap on electronic card payment refusals at 60 euros are all targets of the European Commission. The EU condemns the Meloni government's handling of pensions, namely the "renewal, with harsher age restrictions, in 2023, of early retirement programs expired at the end of 2022." In any case, the proposed budget legislation for 2023 is evaluated in light of the principles agreed upon by EU countries in July of last year. Italy, it is noted, "has not yet achieved headway on tax reform aimed at further decreasing taxes on labor and boosting the efficiency of the tax system".
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