The year after the Union enlarged from 15 to 25 countries and thus to a total population of some 457 million. The budget was somewhat lower, i.e. 95 billion euros, equivalent to 207 euros per capita. The budget for 2006 is 121 billion euros or 265 euros per capita.
In 2007, Romania and Bulgaria will join the Union, and the EU's population will increase to 488 millions. The budget, on the other hand, will not increase. In fact, it is set to be 120.7 billion euros. Per capita that will be 247 euro.
In other words, the growth of new 'EU-citizens´ has not been reflected in the volume of money allocated to be spent through the EU-Commission and the EU-Parliament in the years to come. Rather, the tendency is for movement in the opposite direction.
In 2010, Croatia (4.5 million inhabitants in 2006) will probably become a member of the European Union. For Turkey ( 70.5 million inhabitants in 2006) membership has been suggested for sometime after 2015.
Serbia (9.4 million inhabitants in 2002), Montenegro (631,000 inhabitants in 2004), Macedonia (2 million inhabitants in 2006), Bosnia (4.5 million inhabitants in 2006), and Albania (3.6 million inhabitants in 2006) have all been given an 'entry perspective' by the EU and are thus likely to join the EU sometime in the future.
Thus far, such an expansion is not really reflected in the volume of the budget. For 2013, the EU-budget will be of 127.1 billion euros. Measured per capita, that will take care of Croatia, but not much more.
Odd Iglebaek