EU to give more budget leeway to states facing extra refugee costs

The European Commission, which polices euro zone governments' finances, will give more budget leeway to states that can prove to have suffered extraordinary costs to face the refugee crisis, Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday.

"We are facing a problem of exceptional gravity," Juncker said during a debate on the migration crisis in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Several euro zone governments have asked for more flexibility on EU fiscal rules - the Stability and Growth Pact -- to cope with the costs of sheltering and managing the biggest flow of migrants Europe has seen since World War II.

"If a country makes an extraordinary effort, it must have this recognized," Juncker said, adding that "countries that do not make an extraordinary effort or cannot prove it, will not have a more flexible interpretation of the Pact." - Read More at reuters

EU to give more budget leeway to states facing extra refugee costs