The Dutch commitment not to increase the European budget is, according to Prime Minister Mark Rutte, only a means to ensure that the Netherlands does not pay more than it already does.
“The 1 percent is not a goal, but the means,” said the Prime Minister in the parliamentary debate on Wednesday prior to the European Summit. “The goal is that the Dutch payment remains the same.”
Recently, the government has maintained the requirement that the EU budget should not exceed 1 percent of the joint income of the member states.
The prime minister also wants to commit to modernizing the EU budget. More money must go to security, climate and migration and less to agricultural subsidies and funds for poorer regions in the EU.
Special EU summit in the context of a new budget
On Thursday, the EU member states will discuss the European budget in Brussels, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The budget determines what the European Union may spend for a period of seven years.
The pot is filled by payments made by the EU member states. Those payments now threaten to go up. This is not only due to the UK’s departure from the EU, but also to a new agenda for tackling climate change, for example.
The European Commission therefore wants to increase the EU budget to 1.11 percent of the economy of all EU countries combined. This week, President of the European Council Charles Michel set a budget of 1.074 percent with a compromise proposal. For the Netherlands that means an increase of 2 billion euros.
Together with Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands it is committed that no extra penny is paid. Rutte now leaves room for an increase in the budget, as long as that does not mean that the Netherlands will pay more net. “We are prepared to take inflation and economic growth with us, but that should not mean an increase in contributions.”
Support and criticism from the Lower House
A majority of the House supports the government’s commitment. VVD, CDA and SP think the current payment is more than enough. PVV and FVD want the Netherlands with a veto to make it clear before the top that nothing is added.
According to GroenLinks and D66, the government should not focus on payment percentages. Rob Jetten believes that the “stubborn” attitude of the Netherlands with regard to the increase in the EU budget silences the discussion about modernization. He wants the government to leave room for negotiation to increase the Dutch contribution if that provides more money for tackling migration and the climate.
According to Rutte, the Netherlands does not have to link the budget and the struggle for modernization. “The goal is: no payment increase. The goal is also modernization,” Rutte said. “That doesn’t have to bite each other.”
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