Five EU member states sign SAFE arms loan agreement

Five EU nations have signed loan agreements under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said on Friday (29 May).

“Five member states have signed loan agreements with the Commission: Poland, Lithuania, Croatia, Romania, and Belgium,” Regnier stated at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium.

He added that Poland is the first EU country to receive disbursements through the SAFE programme. The country received its first payment of approximately €6.6 billion (around Rp137 trillion) – roughly 15% of the total €43.7 billion allocation.

“Poland is the largest recipient of the SAFE programme and the first member state to receive payments through this new instrument,” he said.

SAFE is an EU mechanism providing long-term, low-interest loans to member states to bolster military capabilities and strategic infrastructure, procure armaments, and develop cyber and defence technologies.