A decision on whether Poland will apply for additional loans from the EU’s SAFE defence programme will be made by the end of November, Finance and Economy Minister Andrzej Domański said on Monday, 9 November.
No Decision Yet
Domański spoke in Brussels, where he took part in a meeting of EU finance ministers. “No decision has yet been made on whether Poland will take part in the so-called SAFE 2.0,” he said. He added that, according to the schedule, “all decisions in this area must be made by the end of November”.
The minister stressed that it is important for Poland that defence and security become one of the priorities of the next EU multiannual financial framework, the budget for 2028–2034, “so that these are not just loans”.
€21.3 Billion Still to Be Allocated
€21.3 billion remains to be allocated from the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme. These are funds from the first allocation that some member states did not use, as Italy and Hungary, among others, have reported. The money is to go to countries that submit a demand to the European Commission.
Poland is the largest beneficiary of the first tranche, receiving €43.7 billion. Domański stressed that “the overwhelming majority of the SAFE package goes to Polish defence industry”. He also recalled that Poland spends almost 5% of GDP on defence.
Loans, Not Grants
SAFE is a loan instrument designed to speed up the rearmament of EU states. Unlike EU budget funds, which are largely grants, the loans must be repaid. The debate over how to finance arms purchases has also played out at home – we wrote about the alternative proposal by President Nawrocki and the NBP governor.
