MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The European Commission has conceded to Austria's request to exclude costs invoked by the migrant crisis from the country's budget deficit target, Austria's Finance Minister Hans-Joerg Schelling said on Monday.
"The Commission recognized that the refugee-induced spending is extraordinary and unexpected," Schelling told Austria's Oe1 public radio station.
Austria can be certain that the migrant-linked spending deduction will take place, with technical details still to be clarified, the minister added.
In mid-October, Austria's finance minister outlined the budget plan for next year, projecting an influx of some 85,000 refugees.
Over 1.2 million illegal border crossings into the European Union have been recorded by EU border agency Frontex since the start of 2015.