EU should use Google fines to cut member state contributions to budget, France says

France Urges EU to Offset Member States’ Budget with Google Fines Revenue

EU Budget Contributions and the Impact of Google Fines

PARIS, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The European Union should use the proceeds of the billions of euros in fines imposed on Google to reduce the contribution of member states to the EU budget, France's Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad said on Tuesday.

France’s Proposal for EU Revenue Allocation

• "This is a new revenue source for the European Union — worth €4.6 billion — that should automatically lower the contributions of all member states," Haddad said in an interview with Franceinfo TV station.

Division Among EU Capitals

• EU capitals are divided over both the size of the budget and spending priorities.

Google Fines and Their Significance

Recent Fines and Historical Context

• Google was fined a total of €890 million ($1.01 billion) in July for flouting European Union rules aimed at reining in the power of Big Tech.

Total Penalties Over Time

• The recent fines pushed the total penalties imposed on Google by the EU for anti-competitive practices to €10.38 billion over nearly two decades.

Ongoing EU Budget Negotiations

Timeline and Key Figures

• EU governments are negotiating the budget for the 2028 to 2034 period, including at summits in October, November and December in an effort to secure a deal before year-end.

Proposed Budget and Recovery Fund

• The European Commission has proposed the budget should amount to €2 trillion or 1.26% of EU Gross National Income, of which some €168 billion, or 0.11% of GNI, is to service the EU's borrowing for the post-pandemic recovery fund. ($1 = 0.8806 euros)

(Reporting by Inti Landauro; editing by Richard Lough, Kirsten Donovan)