Re: Net contributions

On Thu, 4 Oct 2007 22:17:54 +0100, Vinny Burgoo <hlunnh@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

<http://ec.europa.eu/budget/faq/faq_eu_budg_en.htm#faq3>

4. What is meant by "net contributions"?

"Net contributions" is neither a technical nor a legal term.
Since the European Community is endowed with own resources,
there are not strictly speaking any contributions by the Member
States. But in practice, the amount of funds coming from a
Member State can be calculated and compared with the funds
received by that Member State under various Community
programmes. This information is published annually in [the
report on annual expenditure broken down by Member State of the
EU].

(The words in square brackets link to a link to a link to a document
that doesn't contain the promised info. No great surprise. For the last
five or so years, it has been official EU policy not to make
net-contributor/recipient breakdowns easily available.)

English usage:

1) Is "net contributions" a technical term?

2) Is "net contributions" a legal term?

3) Is "... endowed with own resources" missing a word? (Answer: No.)

4) Are there, strictly speaking, any [financial] contributions, net or
otherwise, by the Member States?

The "own resources" include "GNI-based resources" (whatever those
are), duties, and VAT. The EU doesn't want to consider these
"contributions", because, in the current arrangement, they already own
them. Still, they admit that a breakdown of the source of these funds
can be made by member state, and the totals compared to benefits
received by each state in "programmes". They claim that such a
calculation doesn't take into account benefits that can't be easily be
quantified monetarily. The use of quotes around "net contributions"
expresses their deprecation of such a calculation.

5) What does "strictly speaking" mean?

6) What does "contributions" mean?

The FAQ carries on and concludes as follows:

However, this is a purely technical exercise which cannot take
into account the other advantages of belonging to the European
Community, such as economic integration or geopolitical
stability.

7) What is a "technical exercise", in English usage?

The meaning of the whole seems clear enough; the only interesting
usage point is "own resources".
--
John
.

Relevant Pages

  • Net contributions
    ... "Net contributions" is neither a technical nor a legal term. ... Since the European Community is endowed with own resources, ... Member State can be calculated and compared with the funds ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Net contributions
    ... "Net contributions" is neither a technical nor a legal term. ... Since the European Community is endowed with own resources, ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: What should be Nationalised *VS* Privatized?
    ... "If you appreciate the resources and fighting spirit you find on ... know that the Mises Institute exists solely on voluntary ... contributions. ...
    (sci.econ)