The UK has been told
it must pay an extra £1.7bn (2.1bn euros) towards the European Union's budget
because the economy has performed better than expected in recent years.
It would add about a fifth to the UK's
annual net contribution of £8.6bn. It comes at a time of increased pressure on
David Cameron over Europe.
The recent success of the euro-sceptic UK
Independence Party in by-elections has prompted renewed calls for the prime
minister to renegotiate the terms of the UK's relationship with Europe.
The BBC's political correspondent Ben Wright
in Brussels says the demand for more cash has infuriated the government and
will rile many backbench Tory MPs. Mr. Cameron is currently meeting other EU
leaders for a summit in Brussels.
A government source said: "It's not
acceptable to just change the fees for previous years and demand them back at a
moment's notice. "The European Commission was not expecting this money and
does not need this money and we will work with other countries similarly
affected to do all we can to challenge this."
(Πηγή: bbc.com)
