Countries consider borrowing funds for military weapon procurement (approximately 24 nations)
The European Commission has announced that it has received preliminary applications for loans under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, a financial instrument aimed at bolstering European defense readiness[1]. Eighteen European Union countries have expressed interest in these loans, including Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain[2][3][4].
The total requested amount for these loans is at least 127 billion euros, with Poland requesting the largest share, identifying defense projects worth around €45 billion[3]. The SAFE program offers competitively priced loans to support urgent and large-scale investments in defense capabilities, with a focus on common procurement among Member States, Ukraine, and EEA-EFTA countries[1][3].
The Commission will prepare for raising the necessary funds based on the preliminary applications and assess overall demand for SAFE program loans[2]. The deadline for applying for a loan under the SAFE program is November 30, 2025[5]. The program aims to enhance European defense readiness through joint purchases of key military assets such as air and missile defense systems, artillery, ammunition, drones, and strategic enablers like air-to-air refueling[3][4].
The SAFE program is an important step towards strengthening European defense capabilities and increasing cooperation among Member States[1][3]. The Commission will continue to process the preliminary applications and make a decision on the loans based on the overall demand and the eligibility of the applicants.
- The Commission will raise funds for the SAFE program, a financial instrument aimed at providing competitively priced loans for urgent defense capabilities investment, considering the total requested amount of at least 127 billion euros from eighteen EU countries such as Finland.
- The SAFE program, an important step towards strengthening European defense readiness, offers support for large-scale defense projects like Poland's proposed investment of around €45 billion, with a focus on joint procurement among Member States, Ukraine, and EEA-EFTA countries, until the application deadline in November 2025.
){kind=link}