MNI BRIEF: EC, States In Talks On Escape Clause Implementation

The European Commission and EU states are involved in informal exchanges to address issues of "asymmetry" around the implementation of the excessive deficit procedure and the national escape clause for increases in defence spending, Commission spokesperson Balazs Ujvari told reporters on Thursday.

While the national escape clause helps states which are not in an EDP to increase defence spending by up to 1.5% of GDP without entering an EDP, states already in an EDP cannot use the escape clause to exit an EDP, as is the case with Italy and other states. (See MNI INTERVIEW: EU Escape Clause Defence Boost Lower Than Hoped)

The issue has been raised by Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti at monthly meetings of EU finance ministers on several recent occasions.  

Ujvari said any clarification would not involve a change of the rules themselves but how the NEC and the EDP are implemented and that he expected talks to continue into the autumn.