European MOSAIC - Own Resources Infosheet
Most European Union (EU) revenue (65%) still comes from “GNI-based national contributions”: payments made by EU Member States that are proportional to the size of their economy. The rest of the revenue is commonly called “Own Resources”. It consists of a proportion of every Member State’s Value Added Tax (16%), customs duties at the borders of the Single Market (14%), and a tax on non-recycled plastic waste (5%).
Of course, it matters a lot how large the EU budget is. But it is as important to decide where the money comes from. Own Resources decide who pays, and what the EU can actually afford to do. A budget that is mostly filled by national treasuries (i.e. Member State contributions), like it is now, is vulnerable to 27 domestic debates and tends to be kept as small as possible. Own Resources that the EU raises itself would give it a steadier income. They could also tie its revenue to its own priorities, like climate change, and become fairer.
This is the joint publication of the European Youth Forum and the European Movement International within the framework of the European MOSAIC project.
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