Most EU funding received by the Netherlands is for research and innovation

Funds disbursed to member states by the European Commission are divided into 15 clusters which represent various themes and objectives. Of the 2.9 billion euros that the Netherlands received from Brussels in 2022, 38 percent (over 1.1 billion euros) was in the research and innovation cluster. The second largest item was agriculture and maritime policy, at 29 percent (847 million euros). This money is generally disbursed in the agriculture sector. In third place is investing in people, social cohesion and values, which includes support for vulnerable working people and the unemployed. The Netherlands received 265 million euros for this purpose. This is followed, at some distance, by security, European strategic investment and various other grants.

Most European spending goes to agriculture

Looking at the funds that the European Commission allocates to all EU member states combined, we see a quite different pattern of distribution between the various clusters than the funding received by the Netherlands. Across the EU as a whole, spending on agriculture and maritime policy (39 percent) and regional development and cohesion (31 percent) are the largest items by far. This is followed by investing in people, social cohesion and values, at 13 percent of total spending. In fifth place are European strategic investments (3 percent). Seven percent goes to other items. In total, the European Commission disbursed nearly 139 billion euros to member states across all 15 clusters.

Regional development and cohesion is the second largest item of European spending at over 42.5 billion euros, but the Netherlands receives relatively little money in this area. The aim of this type of funding is to reduce economic and social disparities between the different regions of Europe. There are also major differences when it comes to spending in the areas of security, including combating cybercrime and terrorism. These constitute a very small percentage of European expenditure as a whole, but in the Netherlands they account for 5 percent of funds received from the EU.

In France and Germany, most funding goes to agriculture

There are major differences between countries when it comes to what EU funds are spent on. For example, France and Germany receive relatively large amounts of funding for agriculture and maritime policy. In France, this made up 60 percent of the funding it received from the EU, and in Germany 47 percent. In Poland, over half (56 percent) of the funding received is earmarked for regional development and cohesion. In Belgium, as in the Netherlands, the largest funding item is research and innovation (26 percent). Belgium also receives a relatively large share (11 percent) from the ‘external action’ cluster (international cooperation), which falls into the category of ‘other’ in the chart below.

Germany and the Netherlands receive the least funding per capita

The Netherlands receives the second-lowest amount of EU funding per capita, after Germany. The Netherlands received about 200 euros per person, the vast majority of which (166 euros) came from the 15 clusters. Germany receives an average of 169 euros per capita each year. Luxembourg receives by far the highest amount, followed (at some distance) by Belgium and the Baltic states. Luxembourg receives relatively large amounts of funding for research and innovation (€483.5 million), given the size of its population. The country also receives a relatively large amount in order to fund the European agencies that are located there. Much of the funding received by Belgium is also provided for that purpose.