This briefing reviews the initial implementation of the National Escape Clause (NEC), operationalised for defence purposes in 2025 to help accommodate higher defence spending within the EU fiscal framework. Using the evidence released in the European Semester Autumn package, it assesses how Member States responded to the new instrument, both in terms of activation and actual use of the additional fiscal room. These early developments offer preliminary insights into how such clauses operate in practice, and into their effectiveness in encouraging higher spending in specific policy areas within clearly defined rules and over relatively short implementation periods. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP Read more