Finnish net contribution to EU over EUR 440 million
|
|
The ministry of Finance has calculated that Finland paid EUR 442 million more into the budget of the European Union last year than it got back. The net payment into the EU amounts to 0.27 per cent of Finland’s GDP.
In 2006, money flows of the EU and Finland were on budget, and no additional changes occurred in the scheduling of the payments.
Payments out of the state budget to the EU were a total of EUR 1.519 billion, while incoming payments were EUR 1.077 billion.
Total cash flows between Finland and the EU were higher than that, because not all money is channelled through the state budget. The difference between incoming and outgoing EU money in the state budget was EUR 420 million.
About seven per cent of Finland’s payments go to offset the membership rebate of the UK. Last year Finland paid EUR 112 million for the purpose.
The rebate has been criticised, and all other member states have called for its abolition, but the British are not giving it up voluntarily.
The Ministry of Finance regularly assesses the position of Finland as a net contributor or net recipient of EU funding. Finland has been a net contributor nearly every year since it joined the EU.
According to calculations made by the Ministry of Finance, Finland’s net payment to the EU was greatest in 2005, when EUR 619 more went into the EU coffers than what Finland got out of them.
The net contributions of Finland and the other rich EU member states are growing, as the new member states are poorer and get more financial support from the EU.
Finland is a mid-range net contributor. In absolute terms, Germany is the biggest net contributor, while Sweden contributes most proportionally.
Helsingin Sanomat
