FUNDING OF THE EU BUDGET (2014)

1. Germany : 25,060 Million 21.30%
2. France : 20,296 Million 17.25%
3. Italy : 14,868 Million 12.64%
4. United Kingdom : 12,061 Million 10.25%
5. Spain : 9,834 Million 8.36%
6. Netherlands : 5,508 Million 4.68%
7. Sweden : 4,011 Million 3.41%
8. Poland : 3,749 Million 3.19%
9. Belgium : 3,719 Million 3.16%
10. Austria : 2,921 Million 2.48%
11. Denmark : 2,433 Million 2.07%
12. Finland : 1,955 Million 1.66%
13. Greece : 1,655 Million 1.41%
14. Portugal : 1,534 Million 1.30%
15. Romania : 1,377 Million 1.17%
16. Czech Republic : 1,343 Million 1.14%
17. Ireland : 1,311 Million 1.11%
18. Hungary : 910 Million 0.77%
19. Slovakia : 690 Million 0.59%
20. Croatia : 419 Million 0.36%
21. Bulgaria : 396 Million 0.34 %
22. Slovenia : 334 Million 0.28%
23. Lithuania : 327 Million 0.28%
24. Luxembourg : 326 Million 0.28%
25. Latvia : 225 Million 0.19%
26. Estonia : 174 million 0.15%
27. Cyprus : 148 million 0.13%
28. Malta : 65 Million 0.06%

 5 countries contribute 70% of the total EU budget (Germany, France, Italy, UK and Spain)

€ 140 billion are spent each year by the EU. While the EU budget is financed from the cashbox of overall national taxation, this is not made visible to taxpayers. The EU revenue system is an element of the legitimacy of the Union’s action. In particular, the principle of transparency and taxation by consent requires making it possible for citizens to understand how the EU budget is financed and to ascertain what individual contributions they are making to fund it. Raising awareness among EU citizens on their contribution to the EU budget stir up many questions:

1. What is the purpose of the EU budget?
2. What it has achieved so far?
3. Who profits from it?
4. On whom does the burden fall?
5. Who is managing EU expenditure?
6. Who is ultimately accountable for the results?
7. What can be further achieved in the interest of citizens?
8. Is this worth the cost?