The European Commission is sticking to its estimate that member states could spend up to €650 billion on defence over the coming four years despite just half of governments requesting more fiscal headway to boost investments in the sector in time.
The EU's executive proposed in March as part of its 'Readiness 2030' plan to ramp up defence expenditures to allow member states to request the activation of the national escape clause in the bloc's Stability and Growth Pact in order to allow them to temporarily deviate from stringent fiscal rules to invest in defence.
