Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a German member of the European Parliament and one of the assembly’s six vice presidents
A vice president of the European Parliament (EP) says Europe expects the UK to contribute an extra £1.7 billion to the EU budget, warning that the bloc would be “exasperated” if London tried to avoid paying.
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a German member of the EP and one of the parliament’s six vice presidents, made the remarks on Saturday, saying the UK must make the two-billion euro (USD 2.5-billion) budget contribution to the EU.
Brussels has been demanding that the UK pay the extra amount by December after a recalculation of the country’s national income since 1995 found that Britain’s economy has enjoyed better-than-expected performance in comparison with other European countries.
Lambsdorff said “everybody has to pay their dues,” arguing that “if you have higher GDP growth than forecast, that also means logically that you have a higher contribution to the community’s budget.”
“That is a logical consequence. That is something that everybody has signed up for,” Lambsdorff added.
The EP vice president’s comments come a day after British Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK will refuse to pay the amount, describing the union’s behavior as “appalling.”
Cameron also warned that such behavior would certainly affect Britain’s decision whether to remain in the EU.
The British prime minister is calling for a renegotiation of Britain’s EU membership terms, saying that the reforms are crucial to persuade Britain to stay in the bloc. Cameron has also vowed to hold an in-out vote on the country’s EU membership by 2017.
CAH/HJL/SS