Austria contributes 2.2% to the budget of the Union and receives 1.2% in payments from Brussels and is therefore ranked 8th as EU Net Contributor
Agricultural Sector
Almost 96.4% of the EU funding was completely exhausted whilst the structural fund for regional development only received 63% of the funds from Brussels. Austria’s net balance as a difference in payments and rebates amounted to € 1.297 billion.
At a glance
Austria paid € 2.870 billion to the EU and received € 1.573 billion in rebates. Austria is therefore one of ten net contributors in the Union.
With regards the “collection” of funds from Brussels, the Court’s report is not free from criticism. While the exploitation of the Agrarmund and the European Social Fund amounted to more than 95%, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was not able to make full use of the funds due to continued suspension of payments by the European Commission.
According to report in repeatedly identified by the European Commission deficiencies in the Austrian management and control system. The Court speaks of insufficient and not effective supervision of the administrative authorities via intermediate bodies and lack of control of the administrative authorities. The Lower Austria region benefited most from the € 1.205 billion in return from the European Agri- cultural Fund, followed by Upper Austria (20%) and Styria (14%). Also from the structural funds for regional development Austria received a total of € 68.75 million – flowed proportionately most funds to Lower Austria (34%), the Burgenland 31%, Upper Austria 18%.
Austria recalled € 69,160,000 from the European Social Fund, of which 42% went to the AMS (Public Employment Service Austria), 41% to federal departments and 7% registered the Burgenland.
Source: Austrian Parliament
The German Article can be found here.