In the first half of the year, the Czech Republic received an additional €33.7 billion from European Union sources compared to what it contributed to the EU budget, according to recent data from the Ministry of Finance. Last year, the Czech Republic’s net position towards the EU was €45.6 billion. The positive balance this year is largely due to revenues from the NextGeneration EU (NGEU) recovery plan, which amounted to €34.9 billion. Without these funds, the net position would have been negative for the first time, the ministry noted.
During the first half of the year, the Czech Republic paid €29.7 billion into the EU budget and received €28.5 billion from it. The drop in net income from the EU budget, excluding NGEU, was expected due to the winding down of payments from the previous 2014-2020 program period. However, the ministry anticipates an increase in payments from the current program period in the second half of the year.
Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS) commented on the situation, stating, “The net balance of the Czech Republic towards the EU budget, which is negative for the first time, is paradoxically a result of the strengthening of our economy. Due to the long-term convergence of our economic level with the EU average, we will gradually transition from net recipients to net contributors.”
Stanjura also highlighted the need for the Czech Republic to seek alternative financial tools to replace EU subsidies in the future. He mentioned the possibility of greater involvement of the National Development Bank, PPP projects, or loans from the European Investment Bank.
Since joining the EU in 2004, the Czech Republic has contributed €906.3 billion to the budget and received €1.97 trillion. The Czech Republic’s overall net position for the duration of its EU membership stands at €1.06 trillion. When including NGEU revenues, the total income from EU sources is €2.08 trillion, with a net position of €1.17 trillion.
EU budget revenues consist of funds from structural and cohesion funds, which reached €10.8 billion in the first half of the year, and revenues from the common agricultural policy, which amounted to €17.7 billion. Additionally, the Czech Republic received €34.9 billion in supplementary funds from NGEU in the year’s first half.