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BRITISH CONTRIBUTIONS TO EU SET TO INCREASE
Tuesday 20th April 2004
An increase in the UK's contribution to the EU will be voted on in the European Parliament tomorrow. The European Commission has proposed that annual budget payments should correspond to 1.14% of GDP in each Member State.
The UK is one of the six Member States that recently wrote to the Commission calling for a budget cap of 1.0% of GDP. Despite this, Labour MEPs have signalled their intention to vote in favour of increasing the 1% ceiling, which would mean an increase in the contributions the British taxpayers gives to the EU. The calls for an increase would also threaten the current UK rebate of 3.1 billion.
Timothy Kirkhope, Conservative MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber, said:
"This Report in the name of the Labour Chair of the European Parliament's Budgets Committee is very dangerous. Not only does it take the adoption of a European Constitution for granted; it also places a huge reduction of the UK rebate firmly on the EU's agenda.
At the same time, it asks for even more money to flow from Member States' coffers to Brussels when most Member States are having to tighten their belts at home.
The EU should seize this opportunity to cut waste and do less, but to do it better. We have tabled amendments to cap the budget at 1.0% of GDP and will be watching closely to see if Labour MEPs support us on this, or vote against their own Prime Minister."
