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.
At least 31 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, were killed and 13 others injured in artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces...
The State Department confirmed on Saturday that all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are on hold while it conducts “a full and thorough” re...
One person has been killed and several others injured after a train collided with a vehicle and derailed in southern Denmark on Friday, police said....
Spain is battling some of the largest wildfires in its history, with uncontrolled blazes raging in more than 50 locations from the north to the south ...
At least 31 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, were killed and 13 others injured in artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher’s Abu Shouk displacement camp in North Darfur on Saturday, volunteer groups said.
One person has been killed and several others injured after a train collided with a vehicle and derailed in southern Denmark on Friday, police said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, days after Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska ended without a ceasefire deal.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
A deadly heatwave has claimed 1,180 lives in Spain since May, with elderly people most at risk, prompting calls for urgent social support.
US President Donald Trump is pushing for a trilateral summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as early as 22 August, according to Axios.
Air Canada announced Saturday that it has suspended all flights after 10,000 flight attendants launched a strike, forcing Canada’s largest airline to halt operations of both Air Canada and its low-cost subsidiary, Air Canada Rouge.
At least 31 people, including seven children and a pregnant woman, were killed and 13 others injured in artillery shelling by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on El Fasher’s Abu Shouk displacement camp in North Darfur on Saturday, volunteer groups said.
The State Department confirmed on Saturday that all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza are on hold while it conducts “a full and thorough” review. Officials said only “a small number” of temporary medical-humanitarian visas had been issued in recent days but declined to give figures.
One person has been killed and several others injured after a train collided with a vehicle and derailed in southern Denmark on Friday, police said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment