EU states might get budget relief on refugee costs - officials

Migrants rest at a temporary shelter in a sports hall in Hanau, Germany, October 1, 2015. When the flood of Middle Eastern refugees arriving in Europe finally ebbs and asylum-seekers settle down in their new homes, Germany could unexpectedly find itself housing the continent's largest Muslim minority. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - European Union countries might be allowed to exclude costs of the migrant crisis from budget deficit calculations on a case-by-case basis, EU officials said, as Austria pushed for its spending on refugees to be exempt.

Euro zone countries are obliged by EU laws to bring their budget close to balance or into surplus in structural terms.