The European Union has decided to get to work to favor that more than half of its members can expand your defense expense. The measure, approved on Tuesday, comes weeks after military purposes from here to 2035.
Brussels has chosen to approve Exceptions to fiscal rules of up to 15 member states, with the backdrop of The threat of Russia After the invasion of Ukraine.
This is the so -called ‘escape clause’, which the EU has activated for Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and the Czech Republic.
Many of them, country that already They are part of NATO And that in some cases they had already shown their Discrepancy with the Plan of increases in the Atlantic Alliance, as happened with the GDP in defense.
With the flexibility measure endorsed by the EU, the 15 countries in question may dedicate up to a maximum of 1’5% of GDP Annual for four years to additional defense expenses.
“We are all aware of the IMPORTANCE AND URGENCY of reinforce the defense capacity of Europe To offer a credible deterrence in front of the Russian aggressor, “the European Commissioner of Economics said at a press conference, Valdis Dombrovskiswho has stressed that the challenge is now “to invest more intelligently, together, and with the maximum impact.”
This activation also implies that the commission and the council can decide Do not open a new excessive deficit procedurethe first step for a sanctioning file, for these 15 member states, as Europa Press collects. This would be so Even if they exceed the maximum net spending path approved by the Council, provided that said excess It is due to an increase in defense spending.
The specific case of Germany, which had also requested this flexibility, can be evaluated once Berlin presents its structural tax plan in the medium term. This and other possible similar cases will be valued soon, as indicated by sources from the European Council, which guarantee to be prepared to meet other possible requests for activation of fiscal flexibilities.
For his part, the Spanish Minister of Economy, Commerce and Business, Carlos bodysaid April 30 that the decision on the activation of the exhaust clause was not yet taken and will be valued “in the coming months.”
