Cameron says UK won't pay billions demanded by EU
- 10 years ago
British Prime Minister David Cameron has said the UK will not pay the 2.1 Billion Euros demanded by the EU by December 1 and described the decision by Brussels as unacceptable.
Speaking at the House of Commons in London, Cameron also pressed for reform of the EU:
“The European Union has to change, it has to regain trust and that starts by understanding and respecting the fact that these payments and adjustments are about the hard earned taxes of its citizens. This is just one of the many challenges in our long campaign to reform the European Union, but it is vital we stick to the task.”
The top-up payment is based on a calculation of how well EU economies have performed since 1995. The upward revision of Britain’s Gross National Income was carried out by the Office for National Statistics and agreed with Eurostat.
Cameron only learned of the payment demand at the EU summit in Brussels last week.
The extra amount would add around a fifth to the UK’s net contribution. In 2014, it totals 10.9 Billion Euros.
Cameron also reiterated his intention to hold a referendum in 2017 on the future of Britain’s membership in the EU.
Speaking at the House of Commons in London, Cameron also pressed for reform of the EU:
“The European Union has to change, it has to regain trust and that starts by understanding and respecting the fact that these payments and adjustments are about the hard earned taxes of its citizens. This is just one of the many challenges in our long campaign to reform the European Union, but it is vital we stick to the task.”
The top-up payment is based on a calculation of how well EU economies have performed since 1995. The upward revision of Britain’s Gross National Income was carried out by the Office for National Statistics and agreed with Eurostat.
Cameron only learned of the payment demand at the EU summit in Brussels last week.
The extra amount would add around a fifth to the UK’s net contribution. In 2014, it totals 10.9 Billion Euros.
Cameron also reiterated his intention to hold a referendum in 2017 on the future of Britain’s membership in the EU.