"This has created a stable, transparent and conducive investment and business environment for the business community, including foreign enterprises and investors,” she added.

Hang made the statement in response to reporters’ questions on Vietnam’s reaction to the European Union's (EU) decision on February 17, 2026 adding Vietnam to its list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, commonly referred to as the EU “tax haven blacklist”, following an OECD peer review on exchange of information standards for the 2021-2023 period.

According to the spokesperson, during the OECD’s peer review process, Vietnam had already absorbed feedback, revised and recently supplemented a number of legal documents in taxation, finance and corporate governance, such as the Law on Tax Administration, the Law on Enterprises, and Decree No. 168/2025/ND-CP on corporate management.

These efforts have helped enhance Vietnam’s compliance with international standards on tax transparency and exchange of information, she noted.

At present, the Vietnamese government is developing and implementing a national action plan to address the recommendations of the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, while strengthening international cooperation in taxation with partners, including the EU, the spokesperson stressed.

“On the basis of the Vietnam-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Vietnam stands ready to engage in dialogue, share information and cooperate closely and responsibly with the European Council and EU member states on the results Vietnam has achieved in improving its legal framework, mechanisms and policies towards greater coherence, transparency and fairness, in line with international standards and practices.

"This will help enable more objective and comprehensive assessments, and further promote cooperation between Vietnam and European partners for shared development and prosperity,” she added.

In November 2025, the OECD rated Vietnam as “Non-Compliant” with respect to the standard on Exchange of Information on Request (EOIR).

According to conclusions released by the European Council on February 17, 2026, 10 countries and territories were deemed “non-cooperative” or failing to meet or complete commitments under tax governance criteria. These include American Samoa, Anguilla, Guam, Palau, Panama, Russia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, and Vietnam.

Since it was first established in 2017, the EU list has been updated twice a year. According to the European Council’s policy page, the next review is scheduled for October 2026. Removal from the list is typically linked to addressing recommendations and improving assessments and ratings under OECD/EU mechanisms.