WRITTEN QUESTION P-1361/03 by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Member States' net contributions and/or receipts to the EU.
Date: 2003-04-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union, Member States' contribution, accession to the European Union

C 65 E/76

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

13.3.2004

(2004/C 65 E/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1361/03

by Roger Helmer (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 April 2003)

Subject: Member States’ net contributions and/or receipts to the EU

Will the Commission please tell me what are the net contributions and/or receipts to the EU for the
15 Member States for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002? Will the Commission further tell me what are
the projected net contributions and/or receipts for the 15 Member States in 2003 and 2004, and the
projected net contributions and/or receipts for the enlarged EU in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008?

I am seeking information only about direct fund transfers and not the intangible assumed benefits.

Answer given by Mrs Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(5 May 2003)

In response to his request, the Honourable Member is informed of the following:

(cid:1) Net budgetary balance of the 15 Member States for the period 1998-2002

Every year, the Commission publishes an ‘Allocated Expenditure Report’. The bulk of this report
consists of a detailed analysis of Union expenditure in each Member State. Furthermore, the report
contains a statistical annex which contains an overview of budgetary expenditure and revenue for
including the net budgetary balance. These reports are to be found on the
each Member State,
Commission’s website at
following address: http://europa.eu.int/comm/budget/agenda2000/
reports_en.htm

the

For easier reference, the table showing the net budgetary balances for each Member State for the
period 1995-2001 is sent direct to the Honourable Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

The net budgetary balance for the year 2002 will become available in September 2003.

(cid:1) Projected net budgetary balance for the 15 Member States for the period 2003-2008

The Commission does not publish any forecasts in respect of net budgetary balances of the Member
States.

Nevertheless, the Commission has calculated the additional financial burden for the 15 Member States
related to the accession of the ten new Member States for the period 2004-2006. Taking into account
the estimated payments which could flow towards the new Member States as well as their own
resources contributions to the Union budget,
financing burden for the current
15 Member States is estimated at:

the additional

Cost expressed in millions of euros,
in 1999 prices

Cost expressed as a percentage
of 15 Member States Gross national income

2004

2005

2006

2004-2006

1,404

3,791

5,139

10,333

0,016

0,042

0,055

0,038

This financing burden is shouldered proportionally by all existing Member States, except for the
United Kingdom, which pays significantly less because of the United Kingdom rebate mechanism.

(cid:1) Projected net budgetary balances for the new Member States 2004-2006

These data were calculated for the purpose of the accession negotiations. The table with the estimated
net budgetary balances for each of the ten new Member States is sent direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.