Bueno, esto lo pusimos no? Pero aquí está expandido.
https://www.politico.eu/article/von-der-leyen-proposes-triggering-clause-to-massively-boost-defense-spending/
Von der Leyen demands trigger of emergency clause to massively boost defense spending
European Commission president announces plan at Munich Security Conference.
European Union countries will be able to significantly increase their spending on defense under a plan announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, von der Leyen said she wanted to trigger an emergency clause that would allow governments greater leeway so that military expenditure would not be counted in their tightly controlled budget deficit limits.
“I will propose to activate the escape clause for defense investments," she said. "This will allow member states to substantially increase their defense expenditure.”
Highly indebted European countries, such as Italy and Greece, have supported this escape clause, arguing that it would allow them to significantly increase defense spending without making other budget cuts.
But fiscally conservative states including Germany and Sweden pushed back against this during a meeting of treasury chiefs at the end of last week, according to several officials.
These tensions are likely to come to the fore again during a meeting of EU finance ministers in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.
That will be socialist German finance minister Jörg Kukies’ last Brussels summit before a national election on Feb. 23 that will likely hand power to the economically conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), according to polls.
Critics claim that the current situation does not warrant the triggering of the so-called escape clause, which is proposed by the Commission and must be approved by national governments.
Those rules allow countries to deviate from their spending plans “in the event of a severe economic downturn” or in “exceptional circumstances outside the control of government.”
Blindsided
In her speech on Friday, von der Leyen said Europe was “now in another period of crisis which warrants a similar approach” to that of the Covid pandemic.
To the surprise of many, she first floated using the emergency clause during a closed-door meeting with national leaders last week, as POLITICO first reported.
Her move, at the time, left national Treasury officials and the Commission’s own economy department blindsided, as they had never considered using this option.
So far, finance ministries only discussed expanding the definition of defense investment to military staffing and equipment maintenance.
While this would allow countries more leeway to increase military spending, it is seen by highly indebted states such as Spain, France and Italy as insufficient.
In addition to loosening fiscal rules, Von der Leyen said she would also set out a "wider package" of measures to boost spending tailor-made for each of the 27 capitals linked to their level of defense spending.
"Now is the time to move mountains in the European Union," said the ex-German defense minister.
The Commission will allow look to funnel more private investment to defense and launch joint projects of common interest — much as the bloc already does on clean energy initiatives — covering things like advanced air defense.
"Let there be no room for any doubt, I believe that when it comes to European security Europe has to do more and must bring more to the table," von der Leyen said. "We need a surge in European defense spending.”
