EU: Tax collection still lagging in Greece

(AP) The European Union says that Greek tax collection is still falling well short of some key targets that need to be met to reduce the government's staggering debt pile.

The EU's task force to help Greece overcome the crisis that brought it to the brink of bankruptcy said in Monday's quarterly report that Athens still has trouble to deal with old, outstanding tax claims. With 2 months to go in 2012, it was still about a billion euros behind the EU target of recovering 2 billion.

It said Greece made only 88 audits of large taxpayers, well short of a 2012 target of 300, and 467 of high-wealth individuals, below a 1,300 target.

Overall, though, EU Vice President Olli Rehn said Greece was tackling problems with determination and resolve.