Dutch Finance Minister Wobke Hoekstra calls a multi-billion increase in the Dutch contribution to the European Union unacceptable. He told Dutch television that the annual contribution should be limited to the current one percent of the collective gross national product.
The Financial Times reported Tuesday on German calculations regarding the European Commission's budget proposal. According to that proposal, EU spending would increase by more than ten percent. Additionally, since the British contribution will disappear due to Brexit, and previous discounts are being withdrawn, the annual contributions must rise significantly. For Germany, this would mean a doubling of the contribution, and for the Netherlands, an increase of more than 60 percent in the coming years.
Sources around the European Commission state that the figures about the Netherlands are incorrect, mainly because customs duties in Rotterdam on foreign imports intended for transit (estimated at 2.8 billion euros in 2020) should not be counted. The Dutch gross contribution would then amount to 5.5 billion euros, rising to over 9 billion seven years later.
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Because the EU budget is linked to the (growing) European GDP, the contribution rises regardless. Even if the one percent is maintained and the Netherlands keeps its discount, the contribution in 2027 will grossly amount to roughly 10 billion euros. The European Commission wants to gradually phase out that Dutch discount of more than 1 billion euros per year until it reaches zero.
Furthermore, the British contribution, currently around 12 billion annually, will disappear due to Brexit. These are gross contributions. Money also flows back in the form of subsidies, but the Netherlands has been among the top net contributors for years.
Most EU countries do want the budget to grow. The Netherlands demands a modern budget, with more money for innovation, border control, security, and climate, but fewer subsidies for agriculture and regional development.
During the general political considerations in the Senate, Prime Minister Mark Rutte was asked whether the Netherlands intends to veto the proposed increases. Rutte responded that he always considers a veto a rather weak endpoint. "We will first work with five EU countries that agree with us to see what we can achieve," he said.