Germany set to pay 42% more into EU budget in coming years, report says

"It's of course too early to float specific numbers now," he said at a regular news conference in Berlin. Seibert added it had been clear even before the coronavirus pandemic that German contributions would rise substantially.

Germany's contribution to the European Union budget would rise by 42%, or 13 billion euros ($14.63 billion) annually in the coming years, based on proposals from Brussels, the newspaper Die Welt said on Monday, citing government calculations.

Welt said the latest proposals from Brussels required member states to pay around 1.075% of their gross domestic product into the budget over the next seven years, based on 2018 GDP, meaning a total volume of 1.1 trillion euros. EU leaders are due to hold a virtual meeting on Friday to discuss the bloc's budget for 2021-27, called the Multiannual Financial Framework, as well as the planned coronavirus recovery fund.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said the 27 EU nations will have the first exchange on Friday. "It's of course too early to float specific numbers now," he said at a regular news conference in Berlin.

Seibert added it had been clear even before the coronavirus pandemic that German contributions would rise substantially. ($1 = 0.8887 euros)