GNI-based own resource
The GNI-based contribution equals approximately 0,6% of a member state's Gross National Income (GNI). The rate is calculated for each year to cover the difference between the budgeted expenditures and expected income from all other resources. GNI is the well known Gross Domestic Product (GDP) minus money made by foreigners in the coutry, plus money made by coutry's residents abroad. (Therefore, countries with a high proportion of foreign workers have their GNI much lower than the GDP - e.g. Luxembourg.) For the period 2007-2013, two countries have rebates from this contribution: the Netherlands' contribution shall be reduced by EUR 605 million and Sweden's by EUR 150 million expressed in 2004 prices.
|
-202.50
|
-0.76
|
-60.45
|
Customs and Agriculture duties paid by taxpayers
The EU sets and collects import duties (reported as customs duties and agriculture duties). Currently consumers in the EU pay more than EUR 20 billion on these levies. As these levies are indirect taxes, the importers who pay them to the EU are not those who bear the burden. Therefore, we multiply the sum of these taxes collected from all EU taxpayers by each member state's share in imports to the EU, in order to calculate how much the taxpayers of this country have contributed on these indirect taxes.
|
-76.78
|
-0.29
|
-22.92
|
VAT-based own resource
The VAT-based own resource is a member state's contribution calculated as the rate of 0.3% multiplied by the base, which equals 50% of the member state's Gross National Income (GNI). GNI is the well known Gross Domestic Product (GDP) minus money made by foreigners in the coutry, plus money made by the coutry's residents abroad. (Therefore, countries with a high proportion of foreign workers have their GNI much lower than their GDP - e.g. Luxembourg.) For the period 2007-2013 four countries have a rebate from the rate: instead of the standard rate of 0.3%, Austria pays 0.225%, Germany pays 0.15% and Netherlands and Sweden pay 0.1%.
|
-41.80
|
-0.16
|
-12.48
|
UK correction (= the "rebate")
The UK correction (the "British rebate") is a compensation negotiated by UK's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a Council summit in 1984. In principle, the remaining member states give Britain each year 66% of the difference between its VAT-based and GNI-based contributions to the EU budget on the one hand, and the EU subsidies received by Britain on the other. The individual contributions are based on the countries' share in the European GNI (minus Britain). Four countries - Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and Austria - have a rebate from the rebate, paying only 25 % of their share in the GNI. The remaining states finance these rebates from the British rebate according to their shares in the GNI. That is why for example the Czech Republic pays more than Sweden or Austria.
|
-18.80
|
-0.07
|
-5.61
|
Adjustment reimplementation of ORD 2007
Rebate contribution for Germany, Austria and Netherlands to reduce their payments.
|
-16.70
|
-0.06
|
-4.99
|
European Investment Bank
EU member states are obliged to contribute to the capital and reserves of the European Investment Bank, a public bank owned by the member states. The bank provides loans to governments. Under the Stability and Growth Pact the bank serves as an instrument for punishing the member states that don't meet the rules of the Pact (the Bank is supposed to stop providing loans to countries whose deficit is not below the ceiling of 3 % of GDP).
|
-5.50
|
-0.02
|
-1.64
|
Reduction in GNI-own resource granted to NL and SE
Contributions for Netherlands and Sweden for their allowances from GNI based contributions
|
-2.00
|
-0.01
|
-0.60
|
Sugar levies
Within its Common Agriculture Policy, the EU sets quotas for the volume of sugar that can be produced in its member states. The governments of the member states then have to distribute the quotas to individual sugar producers. The sugar producers pay the EU fees for these quotas. In 2007 the figure is positive for some countries, since the EU has paid compensation payments to some sugar processors for closing down their factories.
|
-1.10
|
0.00
|
-0.33
|
Penalties
Since 1994 (under Art. 171 of the Maastricht Treaty) the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has the power to fine member states that "failed to fulfil an obligation under this treaty". This power was used for the first time in 2000, when based on an action filed by the European Commission the Court sentenced Greece, followed by Spain in 2003 and France in 2005. Moreover, the European Commission has the power to fine new members for "building-up of surplus stocks of agricultural products" before accession. The Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia have to pay fines (for having too many mushrooms and too much rice on their territory as on the date of accession)in 4 yearly installements beginning in 2007. On top of that Slovakia, Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia and Malta pay additional fines (for having too much sugar on their territory) in 4 installements beginning 2006. Romania had to pay in 2010. Austria, Sweden and Finland had to pay similar fines in 1997.
|
-0.80
|
0.00
|
-0.24
|
European Central Bank - Capital
The member states are obliged to pay capital contributions to the European Central Bank (ECB). The central banks of the countries which don't share the common currency, euro, shall pay up 7% of their subscribed capital to the ECB. After becoming a euro zone country, its central bank has to pay the remaining 93% of the subscribed capital. The national central banks' capital shares are derived from countries' population sizes and GDP volumes. In some years some countries can recieve minor amounts back from the ECB, if their capital shares diminish as a consequence of relative decrease in their GDP.
|
-0.03
|
0.00
|
-0.01
|
The EU as a global player
Normally, the EU money under this heading goes outside the EU. Nevertheless, new member states continue to receive money under this heading even after their accession, as part of the projects they obtained as applicant countries. Before 2007 these payments had been reported under the heading "pre-accession strategy".
|
4.40
|
0.02
|
1.31
|
Citizenship
Since 2007 the EU reports under this heading subsidies within its "Solidarity Fund". The payments include financial assistance by the fund to countries affected by flooding or draught. Under this heading the EU also sponsors national consumer protection agencies and finances the following EU's agencies: the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, in Stockholm and the European Food Safety Authority, in Parma.
|
7.30
|
0.03
|
2.18
|
Freedom, security, justice
Under this heading, the EU supports programmes for refugees in member states. It also includes financing these EU's institutions: Agency for Fundamental
Rights in Vienna, the Agency for the Management
of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders
(Frontex) in Warsaw, the European Monitoring
Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction in Lisbon, the
European Police College in Bramshill and Eurojust, a judicial cooperation network based in The Hague.
|
21.10
|
0.08
|
6.30
|
Competitiveness
Since 2007 the EU distributes money through the European Research Council (ERC) to various research projects. Under this heading also trans-European rail networks are supported.
|
102.50
|
0.39
|
30.60
|
Natural resources (=farm subsidies)
Since 2007 the EU has improved its newspeak. What used to be known as Agriculture Subsidies is now called "preservation and management of natural resources". However, it is still the same old thing: payments to farmers based on the volume of their livestock or of the area of their soil, and the taxpayers' money used for interventions in the food market, namely the EU-organized purchases of milk, butter, wheat etc., in order to keep the prices of these commodities high, and to cover the costs of storing them.
|
468.50
|
1.77
|
139.86
|
Cohesion
The EU's seccond biggest expenditure - after agriculture subsidies - are regional subsidies from the so-called Structural funds. In general, these subsidies are available for applicants from regions where GDP per head is below 75% of the EU average, or from countries where GDP per head is below 90 % of the EU average. But there are exemptions allowing people and organisations from rich regions to apply as well.
|
1,176.80
|
4.44
|
351.30
|