Czech Republic gives EU 32 billion in 2007, receives 49 billion back

In 2007, the Czech Republic received some 49.1 billion CZK (2.46 billion USD) from the European Union. Over the same period, it paid 32.1 billion crowns into the EU coffers. On Thursday, the Ministry of Finance revealed the figures, stressing that the Czech Republic had received 17 billion crowns more from the EU than it had paid in. According to a ministry spokesperson, this was the largest amount the country had received from Brussels since joining the EU in 2004. The Czech Republic received large sums in particular last year from the EU’s structural and cohesion funds.