After years of legal wrangling, Google earlier this month paid the €4.6 billion, which amounts to over 2 percent of the bloc’s total budget in 2026.
Gregorio Sorgi
But it won’t help with the tough ongoing negotiations for the next budget cycle from 2028 to 2034.
To finance that future €2 trillion cash pot, France is pushing for a tax on U.S. digital giants including Google, but the idea is opposed by Germany, among others.
EU vs. Google
As part of its annual budget cycle, EU governments and the European Parliament last year struck a broad deal over how to allocate the €192 billion cash pot for 2026.
Throughout the year, the Commission is expected to propose changes to the budget to reflect updated spending and revenue estimates. Its next set of amendments later this year will factor in the €4.6 billion of fresh revenue paid by Google, the Commission official added.
“Unless the budget authority [Council and the European Parliament] decides otherwise, this has the effect of reducing the GNI [gross national income] contribution due by Member States,” said the Commission official.
This comes as a relief for EU countries contending with tight national budgets as a result of higher energy prices and lower-than-expected growth.
