Northern Sweden gets less back from EU
Swedish Television estimates that Norrbotten, the northernmost county in Sweden, pays the European Union more than the double of what it receives back in funding and allocations.
Since 1995 and throughout the program period to 2013, Norrbotten will have received approximately 4,9 billion SEK from EU. At the same time, the inhabitants in the region will pay 12.8 billion in membership fees, the Norrbotten regional branch of the Swedish Television reports.
Since Sweden has paid 464 billion SEK to EU in membership fees in the period from 1995, every Swedish citizen has paid over 51.000 SEK to EU. With 250 000 inhabitants in Norrbotten, this means that the region has paid 12.8 billion SEK in membership fees to EU, which is more than the double of what the region has received in different allocations and project funding.
Norrbotten County Governor Per-Ola Eriksson says EU membership is worth the money:
- It gives us access to a larger area and makes us part of a larger community. When Norrbotten pays taxes to the Swedish state, we do not get back every krone. Likewise, we are not repaid money we allocate to FN and other international organizations.
The question about membership fees and to what degree money is being returned to member countries’ regions can become an important issue for voters in the upcoming elections to the European Parliament June 4-7th.
