France proposes Google fine plan to cut EU budget contributions
Google was hit with €890 million ($1.01 billion) in July
France has come up with a new plan using Google fine amount to ease EU member states budget contributions.
The plan was floated by France’s Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad. According to Haddad , the European Union should use the proceeds of the billions of euros in fines imposed on Google aimed at reducing the contribution of member states to the budget.
"This is a new revenue source for the European Union — worth €4.6 billion — that should automatically lower the contributions of all member states," Haddad said in an interview with Franceinfo TV station.
When it comes to budgetary contributions, the member states are divided over the size of budget and spending priorities.
For instance, Finland, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and Austria want the European Union's budget for 2028-2034 to be "several hundred billion euros" smaller than the €2 trillion proposed by the European Commission.
However, the EU Commission proposed that budget should be €2 trillion or 1.26 percent of EU Gross National Income,
Leaders from five of the EU's biggest net contributors warned that taxpayers cannot shoulder the rising cost of both traditional and new priorities.
"It (the budget) is too focused on subsidies and transfers allocated largely in advance, leaving too little room for what Europe urgently needs: common investment in security and defence, competitiveness, innovation, and the fight against irregular migration," the five leaders said.
Speaking about the amount of fine, Google was hit with €890 million ($1.01 billion) in July for violating European Union rules aimed at curbing the power of Big Tech.
In nearly two decades, Google faced total penalties of €10.38 billion for anti competitive practices.
The announcement comes as Google is challenging EU orders by filing an appeal at the General court in Luxembourg. The orders required the tech giant to open up its Android ecosystem and search data to artificial intelligence and search-engine competitors.
