Sixteen EU Member States have decided to request activation of the national opt-out clause provided for in the Stability and Growth Pact, as part of a coordinated effort to increase defence spending, the EU Council announced on Wednesday evening (30 April). They are Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland.
Of these sixteen countries, thirteen (all except Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Croatia) have submitted a written request to the European Commission.
The Commission will now assess the requests submitted by the Member States with a view to making recommendations to the Council on activating the national escape clause as part of the next ‘European Semester’ package in spring 2025.
The clause covers a four-year period and a maximum flexibility of 1.5% of GDP annually. The Member States remain committed to implementing the revised economic governance framework throughout the period of activation of the clause, the Council stated in its press release. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)