Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and US President Donald Trump's stance on European security, the European Commission last month said it would allow member states more spending flexibility, according to the AFP news.
Brussels has relaxed its previous strict regulations on budget deficits, allowing member states to increase defense spending by up to 1.5 percent of their national output for the next four years without the risk of violating public debt limits.
Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Finland “have decided to trigger the budget exemption clause,” an EU statement said.
A spokesperson for the Polish presidency of the Council of the EU said that while 12 countries have already applied, four more "will do so shortly." The Commission will now assess the requests.
In March, the EU forecasted that the suspension could unlock defense spending worth up to 650 billion euros ($736 billion) while acknowledging that figure was an estimate, the Reuters News Agency reported.
Over the last four years, military spending by the 27 EU members has increased by more than 31 percent, reaching 326 billion euros in 2024.
(aj)
SOURCE: Reuters; AFP; IAR