Six EU Countries Decrease Defense Spending in 2014-2015
14:25 22.06.2016(updated 14:31 22.06.2016)
Six states in the European Union, namely Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium, Finland and Ireland, decreased their defense spending from 2014 to 2015, according to a report published by the European Defence Agency.
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – However, the data in the report indicated that, taken on the whole, European Union countries increased defense spending by more than 2 percent in the period 2014-2015.
According to the data, Lithuania showed the greatest increase in defense spending at 32.1 percent. Luxembourg demonstrated the second largest increase of 29.5 percent, while Poland increased spending by 22.2 percent.
In May 2016, UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon called on NATO countries, many of which are in Europe, to spend at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense. According to a NATO report, only five of its members met that goal in 2015.
© Sputnik
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