Poland Is Biggest Net Recipient of EU Funds

Poland was the biggest net recipient of funds from the European Union budget in 2011, getting more than double the amount channeled to Greece, the next largest.

The chart ranks the bloc’s 27 nations, showing how much each paid into or received from the central budget last year. The funds equal about 1 percent of the total gross domestic product of the EU.

Leaders of the EU gather in Brussels tomorrow for a summit to hammer out a seven-year blueprint of about 1 trillion euros ($1.28 trillion). The U.K., which opposes any increase in the spending plan, ranks as the fourth-biggest net contributor.