12 Member States request activation of the national escape clause in a coordinated move to boost defence spending
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
To date, 12 Member States have submitted a request in writing to the Commission to activate the national escape clause under the Stability and Growth Pact, as part of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 package presented in March 2025. These are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Slovenia. Additional requests are expected to be submitted at a later stage.
The activation of the national escape clause provides Member States with additional budgetary space to increase defence spending, while remaining within the EU fiscal rules, in line with the paper published by the Commission as part of the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030 package.