EU Member States endorse €150 billion SAFE defence loan package to boost European defence capabilities
The European Commission welcomes today’s agreement in the Council of the EU on the Security for Action for Europe (SAFE) Instrument. As proposed in the ReArm Europe Plan / Readiness 2030, the Commission will raise up to €150 billion on the capital markets, providing financial levers to EU Member States to ramp up the investments in key defence areas like air missile defence, drones, or strategic enablers.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission said: “Exceptional times require exceptional measures. I welcome today’s agreement on SAFE, our Defence Industrial Readiness Loan instrument, as a critical step forward. Europe must now assume a greater share of responsibility for its own security and defence. With SAFE, we are not only investing in cutting-edge capabilities for our Union, for Ukraine, and for the entire continent; we are also strengthening the European defence technological and industrial base. This is about readiness. This is about resilience. And it is about creating a truly European market for defence. Europe is stepping up — with purpose, with unity, and with a clear roadmap toward Readiness 2030.”
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence & Space said: “The approval of the SAFE defence loan instrument is a crucial step forward in strengthening Europe’s security and defence readiness. I welcome this agreement by our Member States — it sends a clear signal that Europe is ready to invest in its own defence, resilience, and industrial base. Together, Member States can now also buy with Ukraine, for Ukraine and in Ukraine. This is not just a financial instrument; it is a political commitment to a safer, more capable, and more united Europe.”
Member States now have six months from the entry into force of the Regulation to submit their initial national plans, which the Commission will then assess.