The European Commission wants the upcoming multiannual financial framework (2021-2027) to be increased to 1.11 percent of the combined European income (gross domestic product, GDP). Currently, it is 1 percent.
The extra money is meant to address new tasks, said European Commissioner Günther Oettinger during the presentation of the budget proposal. He cited border controls and development aid to prevent the influx of refugees as examples. The EU also wants to invest more in cybersecurity and climate issues.
But some EU countries, including the Netherlands, do not want to pay extra for this. The Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, and Germany have formed a coalition to oppose an increase of the budget. According to the Netherlands, the current 1 percent is 'more than sufficient.'
(Dutch) EU Budget Director Gert Jan Koopman disagrees. During a press conference in Brussels, he addressed the Dutch governing coalition. He claimed that "the Netherlands misleads its citizens" about the size of the EU costs by including customs duties in the annual contribution to Brussels.
At a press conference in Brussels, the Dutchman strongly criticized The Hague before the international media. Last week, EU Budget Commissioner Günther Oettinger had already accused the Netherlands and Germany of spreading "lies" about the figures.
According to the Dutch Ministry of Finance, the Dutch contribution is projected to rise to 10.9 billion euros by 2027. According to Koopman, The Hague wrongly includes customs duties collected at ports and airports that benefit the EU budget. This amounts to nearly 3 billion euros annually.