EU demand €650m from NL; MPs demand explanation

The VVD and CDA want clarification from the Cabinet on the surcharge for the European Commission this year. According to the British newspaper Financial Times, it is an amount of 642 million euro. Prime Minister Mark Rutte confirmed the amount after talks in Brussels. "This in itself is a regular recalculation, as has happened for many years. This is not new. It happened, it does not surprise us, but the very high amounts do. That's never happened before." says Rutte. https://twitter.com/markverheijen1/status/525384887629803522 https://twitter.com/vanHijum/status/525391540995489792 The surcharge from Brussels is because the European Commission has now adopted a new calculation method world wide, causing the Dutch economy to be much larger than previously calculated. The contribution to Brussels is a percentage of gross domestic product. Because the Dutch economy is larger by the new calculation, the contribution increases, said a spokesperson for the commission. Rutte disputes the charge that comes through the new calculation. The Prime Minister has already contacted the British Prime Minister David Cameron regarding the issue. Brussels wants 2.1 billion euro from Britain. A source from Downing street has made it clear that the United Kingdom will also challenge the demand. "When I say get to the bottom of the issue it means looking at all aspects, including legal. It is too early to anticipate the outcome" says the Prime Minister. He will also contact Bulgaria, Malta, Italy and Greece, who also received a surcharge.