Norway main contributor to new EU member states
By Lisbeth Kirk
Norway will be an important financial supporter of enlargement which takes place in May this year.
Norway, which is not actually a member of the European Union, is to pay 205.8 million euro in annual contributions for the 10 new EU member states.
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This is due to an European Economic Area (EEA) agreement which gives Norway access to sell products within the Internal Market but also obliges the country to pay a contribution to the EU structural funds.
By comparison, Sweden is to pay only 64-84 million euro per year and the Danes 19-25 million euro, reports Norwegian daily Nationen.
Per inhabitant Norway is to contribute 137.2 euro per citizen to enlargement, while the Germans are to pay 18.60 euro per citizen, the French 10.20 euro, Italians 14.0 euro, the Dutch 46.9 euro and the British 17.7 euro.