1 Horse Guards Road, 
Information Rights Unit 
London. 
 
SW1A 2HQ 
Tel: 020 7270 4558 
 
Fax: 020 7451 4861 
Mr John A Dorward  
[HM Treasury request email]  
 
 www.hm-treasury.gov.uk 
By e-mail:  
 
[email address] 
Our refs:  
IRU/9/76 
 
EMAIL/15889/2009 
 
 
 
 
10th February 2009 
 
Dear Mr. Dorward, 
    
Thank you for your enquiry dated 27th January 2009 asking for information under the 
Freedom of Information (FoI) Act 2000.    
 
Your enquiry asked:  
 
“In the past three years, what has been the net cost to, or gain by, this country by 
being a member of the EU?”  
 
The Freedom of Information Act establishes a legal process, and so, formally, we 
have to point out that as this information has already been published it is exempt 
from re-issue under section 21 of the Act.  However, we recognise that it is not 
always easy to locate information and so to assist we are happy to provide the web 
links for you to locate the information in question.   
 
Details of the UK’s gross and net contribution to the EC Budget in the calendar years 
2002 to 2007, together with an estimate for 2008 were included in Table 3.1, on page 
22, of the Government’s annual European Community Finances White Paper of 
10th September 2008 (Cm 7462) and can be found at the following link:  
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/european_community_finances_2008.pdf   
 
If you have any queries about this letter, please contact the Treasury’s 
Correspondence and Enquiry Unit (CEU) at [HM Treasury request email].  It 
will be helpful to us if you remember to quote the reference number above in any 
future communications.   
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
Balvinder Chowdhary 
Information Rights Unit  
On behalf of HM Treasury 
 
 

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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 
 
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your request and wish to make a complaint or 
request a review of our decision, you should write within two months of the date of this letter to HM Treasury, 
Information Rights Unit, 2/SW, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ.   
 
 
Email:  public.enquiries@hm -treasury.gov.uk  
 
If you are not content with the outcome your complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a 
decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided 
by the Treasury.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, 
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF. 
 
 
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