Some EU countries deserve budget leeway over refugee crisis - Dijsselbloem

Refugees and migrants arrive on a boat at a beach on the Greek island of Lesbos, November 9, 2015. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European countries most affected by the refugee crisis may be granted some leeway on fiscal rules for a limited period of time, the head of the euro zone finance ministers said on Monday.

"My own opinion is that for a number of countries there are grounds to consider their current crisis an exceptional circumstance that could be taken into consideration, not in general, not for all and not forever," Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem told a news conference.