Investing.com -- The European Commission announced on Wednesday that a dozen EU countries have requested the activation of a national clause to increase their defense spending. The countries that have made this request are Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

The Commission expects more nations to make similar requests at a later stage. The clause, known as the national escape clause, allows member states to increase their defense budget beyond the standard EU limits. The European Commission did not provide any more details on the matter at this time.

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