The Netherlands is still major EU net payer

Despite a €1bn discount agreed in 2005, the Netherlands is still one of the biggest net payers to the EU, the Volkskrant reports on Monday.


The paper bases its claims on new figures from the European Commission which are due to be published on Tuesday.
The Netherlands and Denmark both paid 0.36% of their gross national income to the EU last year. For the Netherlands, that amounted to some €2bn.
However, the figures do not include the special customs taxes generated by Rotterdam port which the Netherlands also contributes, the paper says. If that was included, the Netherlands would lead the list of net payers.
Talks on member state contributions from 2012 are due to start shortly. Most Dutch political parties included a reduction in EU contributions in their manifestos for the June 9 general election.

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