Dutch could face new Brussels surcharge due to revised economic figures

The Dutch economy was bigger in 2011 and 2012 than previously thought which could lead to the Netherlands facing a substantial surcharge from Brussels, finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has warned.

The restated figures from the national statistics office CBS show the Dutch economy was bigger in both years than estimated earlier, which could lead to a new payment demand of €200m, the minister told parliament in a briefing on Wednesday.

The Netherlands’ contributions to the EU depend on the size of gross national income. Revised figures from 2013 and 2014 will be published in June which could further boost the bill.

The actual size of the surcharge depends on developments in other European cities and won’t be known until the autumn.

Last autumn the Netherlands was faced with an extra payment of €642m.

The CBS said on Wednesday gross national income was 1.8% higher in 2011 and 1.5% higher in 2012 than originally thought. The upward revision comes from ‘new information’ about the size of ‘international financial flows of multinationals’, the CBS said in an English-language statement.