The UK’s EU surcharge (another blow for Osborne) – Second Reading

[Image: Left Futures.]

[Image: Left Futures.]

At first glance, this article from the House of Commons Library blog didn’t look as though it was going to contribute anything new.

We know why the UK had to pay a surcharge to the EU based on its economy performance from 2002 until 2013 (according to this article; 2009 according to some others). We know that it relates to the EU budget because member states pay a proportion of their gross national income into the EU’s coffers in return for membership. We know that the revision goes back to 2002 because the EU disagreed with the way some member states had worked out their figures. We know that the question of whether the rebate would always apply to this payment is hotly debated.

But then the article states:

“Concessions have been reached on the timing and staging of payments. Member States will be able to pay in stages with payment completed by 1 September 2015. The original amending budget required a single payment to be made by 1 December 2014.

Member States paying later will not incur interest charges for doing so. Regulations would have allowed for interest payments of 2 percentage points above the base rate, increasing by a 0.25 percentage point for each month of delay.” [Boldings mine.]

Didn’t Osborne come back from Europe saying he had negotiated concessions for the UK? What’s all this “member states” business?

For example, on Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday (November 9), he said: “This is a real win for British taxpayers… It’s another sign this government can get a good deal for Britain in Europe.” [Bolding, again, mine.]

There’s no mention of the other member states in his renegotiation story at all! Osborne makes it look as though he negotiated a deal for the UK that the other states agreed…

… In fact, it seems all member states agreed on a deal that would affect all member states.

For all we know, Osborne could have sat at the back of the room and twiddled his thumbs. The more we learn about this deal, the less significant his role seems to be.

Follow me on Twitter: @MidWalesMike

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5 Comments

  1. Stephen Tamblin November 13, 2014 at 7:39 am - Reply

    Osborne can’t do anything right

  2. amnesiaclinic November 13, 2014 at 10:54 am - Reply

    All smoke and mirrors! Nobody else did the digging – useless lame stream media!

    Well done!
    x

  3. jaypot2012 November 13, 2014 at 2:08 pm - Reply

    I wouldn’t believe anything that this sly bugger says – he can’t negotiate anything as he has no power to do so and, as the Americans say, “Who the hell is he anyway”. He’s probably known like that in Europe and the rest of the World :)

  4. hugosmum70 November 13, 2014 at 11:38 pm - Reply

    thick as pig s**t is that one. probably only went to Eton cos daddy wanted him to. not cos he had a brain.

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