The European Commission has started disciplinary proceedings against France, Italy and five other EU member states for taking up excessive new debt, in breach of EU regulations.
Belgium, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia have also been taken to task by the European Union's executive arm for the size of their national debt levels and the budget deficits they have been running.
The commission decision is the first step in a process called an excessive deficit procedure (EDP), instructing the seven EU countries to reduce their public spending.
EU finance ministers will be asked to approve the commission's assessment in July. Then, under the supervision of the commission, countries subject to an EDP must submit measures to reduce their debt and deficit for four years.
