EU budget: Germany insists on contribution rebate
Brussels (dpa) – In the negotiations on financing the next long-term EU budget, the German federal government is insisting on a contribution rebate for Germany. For the Federal Republic, a multiannual financial framework without a compensation system is fundamentally inconceivable, said the German Minister of State for Europe Gunther Krichbaum on the sidelines of EU consultations on the issue in Brussels. A fair sharing of the burden is needed.
Among other things, calculations are considered to be the background to the demand, according to which German net contributions are likely to continue to rise in the future regardless of planned structural changes – and this also in relation to other large net contributors such as France.
As the largest economy in the EU, Germany is already the country that, on balance, pays by far the most money into the European common budget. Last year, contributions of around 27.4 billion euros were made. However, only 12.6 billion euros flowed back to Germany from the EU budget, meaning the net contribution was around 15 billion euros.
Berlin also does not want to accept a levy for large corporations
Krichbaum also emphasized that the European Commission’s proposal contains several components that Germany cannot support. This concerns the sheer volume, but also the plan to subject large companies with more than 100 million euros in revenue to additional taxation.
“We do not consider this to be up to date, because especially at this time it is crucial to remain competitive – not only within the European Union, but especially outside the European Union,” said the politician from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). It is therefore important not to burden companies further with taxes.
The next long-term EU budget is to apply for the period from 2028 to the end of 2034 and enable spending of around two trillion euros. That is about 700 billion euros more than is currently earmarked for the ongoing seven-year budget period. According to the will of the European Commission, the previous rebate rules are actually no longer to exist in the future. According to its own figures, Germany currently receives an inflation-adjusted contribution reduction of 3.67 billion euros per year. (December 16)
