Brexit and the EU Budget

The chapter focuses on the impact of the Brexit on the EU budget. Departing from the hypothesis that the Brexit may act as a catalyst for fundamental reforms within the EU budget aiming at strengthening the added value of EU expenditures and revenues, the chapter sketches the pillars of such far-reaching reforms. It then provides an overview of the expected financial implications of the Brexit. The current status of the UK–EU Brexit negotiations implies a twofold financial impact of the Brexit, comprising the one-off “Brexit bill†or “divorce bill†and the permanent “Brexit gap†. Against this background, the chapter closes with a brief first assessment of the European Commission’s proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. To cover the Brexit gap and to finance the new priorities, the proposals foresee an increase in national contributions as well as new own resources.