Twelve European Union member states have asked Brussels to trigger the “national escape clause” in EU fiscal rules, aiming to raise defence spending without facing budget penalties, the European Commission said on Wednesday.
The clause would allow countries to exceed the usual 3% deficit threshold, granting them room to increase defence budgets by up to 1.5% of GDP annually over four years. The proposal comes amid growing pressure to strengthen Europe's military capabilities.
Countries making the request include Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia. A spokesperson for the Polish EU Council presidency said four more nations plan to apply soon.
The Commission will now review each submission. Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the goal is to support higher defence investment while ensuring fiscal responsibility.
The move reflects a shift in EU priorities as geopolitical risks mount and defence becomes a growing part of national budgets.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's latest peace proposal, which was delivered to Wash...
Azerbaijan won nine medals at the 2026 President Cup international regatta, held in Mingachevir and dedicated to Azerbaijan’s former presiden...
Preparations for Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to Kazakhstan were a central focus of talks in Astana between President Kassym-Jomart Tokaye...
An international youth forum titled “Strengthening the Role of Youth in the Postcolonial Era” opened in Baku on 1 May, bringing togethe...
Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, has hosted the International Carpet Festival for the second time, with this year’s event opening with discu...
Azerbaijan won nine medals at the 2026 President Cup international regatta, held in Mingachevir and dedicated to Azerbaijan’s former president and national leader, Heydar Aliyev.
Preparations for Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to Kazakhstan were a central focus of talks in Astana between President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
An international youth forum titled “Strengthening the Role of Youth in the Postcolonial Era” opened in Baku on 1 May, bringing together delegates from current and former colonies to discuss decolonisation, self-determination and the role of young people in shaping global governance.
A Pentagon official provided the first official estimate of the cost of the U.S. war in Iran on Wednesday (29 April), telling lawmakers that $25 billion had so far been spent on the conflict, most of it on munitions. Earlier, Donald Trump said that the U.S. had "militarily defeated" Tehran.
A report published by Minval Politika has raised new questions over alleged efforts by Luis Moreno Ocampo to shape international pressure against Azerbaijan and influence political dynamics around Armenia.
Shares in Meta Platforms fell sharply in extended trading on Wednesday after the tech giant raised its annual capital spending forecast by billions of dollars.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned “foreigners who commit evil” have no place in the Gulf, outlining a “new phase” for the Strait of Hormuz, while a senior adviser said U.S. blockade efforts would fail and could trigger confrontation.
Minval Politika has released further footage it says shows former International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing alleged funding behind campaigns linked to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was "not satisfied" with Iran's latest peace proposal, which was delivered to Washington via Pakistani mediators on Friday (1 May).
A 45-year-old man has been charged with attempting to kill two Jewish men in London on Wednesday (29 April).
At a moment when the trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies remains deeply strained, senior officials from Beijing and Washington have resumed direct talks.
Hundreds of protesters and emergency services clashed in a remote Northern Territory town overnight following the arrest of a man suspected of abducting and murdering a five-year-old Indigenous girl, police confirmed on Friday.
A fresh Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s vital Black Sea port of Tuapse has sparked a massive fire at the sea terminal, local officials confirmed early on Friday.
U.S. passenger air services to Venezuela resumed on Thursday (30 April), as an American Airlines flight landed in Caracas, restoring a commercial link between the two countries after seven years.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment