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EU surprised at Cameron's angry reaction over budget payment

Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget Jacek Dominik
Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget Jacek Dominik
BRUSSELS, Oct 27 (KUNA) -- EU Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget Jacek Dominik Monday expressed surprise over the angry reaction by British Prime Minister David Cameron on UK's additional payment to the EU budget.
"I was surprised by the reaction because up to the moment there was no signal from UK administration that they have problem with this figure," he told a press conference.
"UK is such an experienced country concerning budgetary procedures. They are very fluent in calculating different figures and checking by the Commission. At least we could have an hint for the UK that they had a problem with the figures," he noted.
Dominik said every year the European Commission revises EU member states' gross national income contribution to the EU budget and that the demand was made under a system agreed by all the EU member states.
Cameron was presented with a new bill for 2.1 billion euro by the European Commission last Thursday during an EU summit in Brussels.
He was told that the UK has to pay up the extra money by December 1 because his country's economy has performed better than expected over the last four years.
In an angry reaction , Cameron told reporters that "it is not acceptable, it is an appalling way to behave and I am not paying the bill." "It is an unacceptable way for this organisation to work , to suddenly present a bill like this for such a vast sum of money with so little time to pay it," he stated.
Dominik said if London did not foot the bill by the December deadline, Brussels will send a letter asking the reason for the non-payment.
Meanwhile, EU finance ministers will discuss the issue in November. (end) nk.mt