We all know who shouts the odds loudest in the EU, but which countries are entitled to be listened to because they pay their way? Here is a list of budget details for the first 15 members of the EU club in reverse order of scrounging.

EU Budget Contributions : Countries in Reverse Order of Net Benefit EU Country Contribution to EU (£ billions) Received from EU (£ billions) Population (millions) Benefit per person (£) Sweden 1.8 1.1 9 -78 Luxembourg1 0.13 0.1 0.5 -72 Germany 12 6.5 82 -67 Holland 2.4 1.4 16 -62 Great Britain 9 4 (+3)2 59 -34 Belgium1 1.5 1.2 10 -30 Denmark 1.1 0.95 5 -30 France1,3 10 8.5 60 -25 Austria 1.5 1.3 8 -25 Italy 6.8 6.4 58 -8 Finland 1 1 5 0 Spain 4.5 10 40 +137 Greece 1 2.8 10.5 +171 Portugal 0.9 2.8 11 +172 Ireland 0.7 1.6 4 +225 1 Belgium, France & Luxembourg all receive hidden benefits from hosting major EU institutions. 2 Great Britain receives a rebate of 60% of the difference between contributions (column 2) and receipts (column 3). The rebate was negotiated by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1984 and in 2005, the rest of Europe is trying to steal it from us as a distraction by the politicians from the failure of the French and the Dutch people to buy the European Constitutional Treaty. 3 40% of the EU budget goes on agricultural subsidies even though only 5% of the workforce is in farming. France receives one-quarter of this cash, or 10% of the EU budget, for its farmers.   #