The Swedish EU contribution

The contribution to the European Community is accounted for as a separate expenditure area (UO27) in the Swedish national budget. Sweden's contribution to the financing of the EU budget amounted to SEK 25.9 billion in 2006. The estimated actual outcome for the 2007 appropriation is SEK 26.4 billion. The Government's proposed appropriation level for 2008 is SEK 30.1 billion.

The receipts from the Community budget consist of various types of payments and subsidies to the Member States. Most of the receipts go to agriculture and regional policy programmes.

The total revenue from grants to Sweden in 2006 was about SEK 13.8 billion. You can read more about the receipts in Chapter 7 of the 2006 Annual Report for Central Government. (Only available in Swedish)

The reason that Sweden pays more to the EU than we receive in return is that the money a country receives back from the EU budget mainly consists of agricultural and regional subsidies. The proportion of agriculture in the Swedish economy is very small, about two per cent. In addition, the differences between richer and poorer regions in Sweden are less than in other EU countries. This means that we pay more than we get back in the form of various grants.

The Swedish EU contribution

SEK million

	Outcome 2006	Forecast 2007	Proposal 2008
Contribution to the EU budget, total	25,920	26,398	30,122
Customs duties	3,539	3,671	3,696
Agricultural levies	169	158	207
VAT-based fee	4,227	4,348	4,475
GNI-based fee	17,723	17,457	20,785
UK correction contribution 1	262	378	433
Contribution to fund in the sugar sector 2		383	526

1. The United Kingdom receives a budget reduction which is financed by the other Member States.
2. New contribution, the fund is temporary.