(9)On 8 July 2025, the Council activated a national escape clause to facilitate an increase in defence expenditure in Finlandnote, during the period 2025-2028. Article 2(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1467/97 establishes that, if a national escape clause is activated, the Commission and the Council may decide not to reach a conclusion regarding the existence of an excessive deficit. However, based on the Commission Autumn 2025 Forecast, the deficit in 2025 for Finland is projected at 3,4 % of GDP without the increase in defence expenditure since 2021. Thus, the deficit in excess of the reference value in Finland in 2025 cannot be fully explained by an increase in defence expenditure since the reference year of 2021. As a result, Article 2(5) does not apply.
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