It is often assumed that, if Ukraine does become a European Union member, it would place enormous strain on the EU budget. This perception might be an obstacle to the country's accession, but such fears are exaggerated.
The impact on the EU budget would be manageable, with little change to the large net payments obtained by current net beneficiaries.
Assuming the current EU budget rules are applied and there are no transition periods — which is unlikely — we estimate the total di...
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Already a member? Login hereZsolt Darvas is a senior fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, and at Corvinus University of Budapest. He is a co-author of the report 'Ukraine's path to European Union membership and its long-term implications'.
Zsolt Darvas is a senior fellow at the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, and at Corvinus University of Budapest. He is a co-author of the report 'Ukraine's path to European Union membership and its long-term implications'.