EUCO Liveblog
NEW DRAFT TEXT: Dutch asks on defence spending included
According to the new draft conclusions seen by Euractiv, northern countries – especially the Dutch – managed to amend the wording adding the need “to ensure debt sustainability”.
The issue of looser fiscal rules to allow more defence spending was also thoroughly discussed at the EPP's pre-meeting, sources told Euractiv, with special emphasis on von der Leyen's proposed use of the national escape clause.
Countries like Greece and Poland, whose leaders are EPP members, worry they will not benefit from the fiscal relief proposed as they already spend more than 2% of their GDP on defence.
Following pressure from Greece’s New Democracy, the declaration of the EPP states that the European Commission should “safeguard equal treatment to Member States that have already been consistently meeting the NATO defence expenditure target of 2%”.
- Sarantis Michalopoulous
The issue of looser fiscal rules to allow more defence spending was also thoroughly discussed at the EPP's pre-meeting, sources told Euractiv, with special emphasis on von der Leyen's proposed use of the national escape clause.
Countries like Greece and Poland, whose leaders are EPP members, worry they will not benefit from the fiscal relief proposed as they already spend more than 2% of their GDP on defence.
Following pressure from Greece’s New Democracy, the declaration of the EPP states that the European Commission should “safeguard equal treatment to Member States that have already been consistently meeting the NATO defence expenditure target of 2%”.
- Sarantis Michalopoulous
