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.
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The United States and Iran have traded fresh strikes, with the U.S. hitting military sites and Iran launching missiles and drones at bases and ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping remains active, but tensions are rising as calls grow for restraint and renewed talks.
Ukraine will increase military wages and expand recruitment of foreign volunteers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday, as the armed forces face a critical personnel shortage after more than four years of war with Russia.
Poland will receive a new $4 billion loan from the United States through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, strengthening defence ties between the two NATO allies as Warsaw continues a major military modernisation drive.
Georgia and the European Union have held their first working-level talks in Brussels following the EU's decision to suspend visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports.
Mexico and South Africa meet in Thursday’s World Cup opener in Mexico City, with both teams approaching the match from very different positions but facing their own pressures.
SpaceX has made history with the largest initial public offering ever in the United States, pricing its shares at $135 each and achieving a market valuation of $1.77 trillion.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
U.S. Donald Trump has said he has cancelled planned strikes on Iranian oil and gas ports announced earlier on Thursday. Trump said he made the decision after senior leadership in Iran agreed to peace talks.
While France hosts next week’s Group of Seven summit, businesses in neighbouring Switzerland have already begun taking precautions, with many shops in Geneva boarded up ahead of a large anti-G7 demonstration expected on Sunday.
Ukraine will increase military wages and expand recruitment of foreign volunteers, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Friday, as the armed forces face a critical personnel shortage after more than four years of war with Russia.
Poland will receive a new $4 billion loan from the United States through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, strengthening defence ties between the two NATO allies as Warsaw continues a major military modernisation drive.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have criticised Britain, France and Germany for leaving them out of talks with Russia about a potential future peace deal for Ukraine.
The International Labour Organization has adopted the first-ever international agreement aimed at protecting digital platform workers, marking a major step in regulating labour conditions in the global gig economy.
Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly’s Monaco Grand Prix podium has been reinstated after Alpine successfully challenged his post-race penalties through a Right of Review request with the FIA.
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