Fifteen European nations publicly commit to incurring substantial debt for boosting their military expenditures.
Revised Base Article:
16 EU Countries Push for Military Spending Boost, ready to run up massive debts
Here's the deal: Germany and 15 other EU countries are eyeing to raise military spending by busting through debt limits. This information comes straight from the official website of the European Council.
These countries plan to utilize an exemption in the Stability and Growth Pact of the European Union, a provision that permits them to allocate up to 1.5% of their GDP for military needs over four years, without the usual EU budget constraints.
These financial constraints typically cap the annual budget deficit of member countries at 3% of GDP, and the total national debt at 60% of the country's GDP.
The European Council lists down Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Germany as the countries taking advantage of this exception.
Apparently, the European Commission has encouraged countries to seize this opportunity, as stated in the report.
European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis says, "We're open to further inquiries."
According to a report on the European Council's website, if EU member states use this exception, total defense spending in the European Union could reach a whopping 650 billion euros by 2030. That's a hefty increase from the 326 billion euros spent in 2024, which represented a 31% surge over the 2021 level of 249 billion euros.
The growing fear of Russia and potential withdrawal of US support seems to be driving the EU's military spending plans, as reported by AFP.
In other news, the European Commission announced the allocation of 910 million euros for new defense projects, with Ukraine joining for the first time as a participant. Funds will go towards 62 projects under the European Defense Fund program, including the development of the latest AI-controlled air systems (Ukrainian Small UAS) and a classified 78 million euro project to counter hypersonic gliding aircraft.
The list also includes:
- Protection against weapons of mass destruction
- Development of a next-generation European helicopter vehicle by 2030
- New-generation stealth materials
- A unified autonomous European mine destruction system
With the addition of these new funds, the total EU funding for joint defense research and development since 2021 has reached an impressive 4 billion euros.
Enrichment Data Integration:
The 16 EU countries aim to boost defense capacities through modernizing armed forces, expanding military-industrial production, and hardening critical infrastructure to protect against potential threats. The need for autonomous defense capabilities intensified due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, increased militarization of Kaliningrad, hybrid threats, energy coercion tactics, and uncertainty regarding US commitment to NATO, as stated by the EU. Since 2021, EU military spending has shown a significant increase, with France, Spain, and Italy choosing to opt out of the budget exemption but still investing in separate defense upgrades.
Restructured and Revised Sentences:
The EU countries aim to raise military spending by busting through debt limits. This financial venture, as per the European Council's official website, involves 16 countries, including Germany. To achieve this, they plan to utilize an exception in the Stability and Growth Pact of the EU. The European Commission encourages this move and is open to further discussions, says EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.
These countries aim to allocate up to 1.5% of their GDP for military needs over four years without EU budget constraints. In stark contrast, the usual EU budget constraints typically cap the annual budget deficit of member countries at 3% of GDP, and the total national debt at 60% of the country's GDP.
The list of countries includes Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Germany. If these countries take advantage of the exception, total defense spending in the European Union could reach 650 billion euros by 2030.
Since 2021, EU military spending has surged by 31%. This surge reflects the urgency driven by the perceived threat from Russia and uncertainty regarding US commitment to NATO. France, Spain, and Italy have opted out but remain engaged in separate defense upgrades.
The new funds allocation includes the development of the latest AI-controlled air systems and a classified project to counter hypersonic gliding aircraft, along with other initiatives aimed at improving the EU's defense capabilities. With the additional funds, the total EU funding for joint defense research and development since 2021 has reached 4 billion euros.
- The debt limits of 16 EU countries, including Slovakia, may be breached as they plan to allocate funds for a military spending boost, allowing them to surpass the usual EU budget constraints set by the Stability and Growth Pact.
- With the exception utilized, the European Union's defense spending could potentially reach a staggering €650 billion by 2030, according to a report on the European Council's website.
- Slovakia, among other countries, is part of this venture, planning to modernize their armed forces, expand military-industrial production, and safeguard critical infrastructure against potential threats.
- The advancement of AI-controlled air systems and projects aiming to counter hypersonic gliding aircraft are among the initiatives included in the €4 billion allocated for joint defense research and development since 2021.
- The escalating fear of Russia, potential withdrawal of US support, and other factors like hybrid threats have driven the EU's military spending plans, as reported in general news and war-and-conflicts sections.
