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Financial issues constitute a source of tension in the relationship between the European Union and its Member States. While affirmation of EU financial autonomy affects the sovereignty of the Member States, the principle of autonomy itself seems no less a fiction. Through their ability to make decisions and take action, the influence of Member States on EU finances manifests itself in how the community is financed as well as in the administration of these finances. This financial and structural “imperfection” reveals the fictional nature of the principle of financial autonomy and reflects the interstate origins of this entity that is still under construction.