Britons would have paid £22bn into the EU budget, analysis shows (Image: Getty)
The UK would have paid more than £22billion into the ‘s budget this year had never happened, an analysis shows.
Think tank, Facts4EU, estimates the UK used to account for 13.5% of the bloc’s budget, which today means Britons would have been on the hook to hand over £22.3bn in 2025 alone.
It argues figures cited by the Treasury used to put Britain’s contribution at 12.5%, but in practice the amount “was always more”.
says this is because “off budget” funds Britain used to pay into, while most EU countries didn’t, were not factored into the calculations of the UK’s contribution.
The EU’s general budget for 2025 amounts to £165.5bn (€199.4bn), with billions to be spent on defence, the single market, red tape, the bloc’s borders and the environment.
:
It is almost five years since the UK exited the EU (Image: Getty)
Britain no longer makes regular payments towards the EU budget, although there are ongoing commitments the UK has to make due to the terms of the deal.
The UK can still pay towards involvement in EU schemes, such as Horizon Europe, but these don’t form part of the bloc’s standard budget.
In a statement posted on its website, Facts4EU said: “As we enter another new year, it is once again a year in which the UK taxpayer will not be subsidising the rest of the EU – thanks to .”
It added that 68% of the EU budget will go towards “perpetuating the myth of the EU as a success” as well as the bloc’s “ideologically-driven Net Zero and Green agenda”.
The budget comes as Europe’s economy faces multiple challenges in 2025, with tepid growth and lagging economic competitiveness compared to the US and China.
Don’t miss… [REPORT] [REVEALED]
Facts4EU estimates the UK used to account for 13.5% of the bloc’s budget (Image: Getty)
A French and German axis pushing Europe forward has also been weakened by the collapse of both countries’ governments in recent weeks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is equipped with serious powers. Still, there is only so much she can do without political backing from the two biggest member countries, whose national budgets are bigger than the EU’s.
Arguably, the most urgent matter is how Brussels responds to US President-elect , who takes office on January 20.
European officials are trying to defuse a potential trade conflict over new US tariffs or import taxes on European goods, which would seriously affect the continent’s export-oriented economy.
Meanwhile, the EU Commission estimates as much as £414.7bn (€500bn) will be needed over the next decade to help meet the bloc’s security needs.