The 19 member states participating in the low-interest loan program of the SAFE mechanism to strengthen European defense have submitted their national investment plans on time, as announced today (1/12) by the European Commission.
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The deadline was completed on November 30, and according to a post by Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on platform X, 15 of the 19 member states included Ukraine in their plans, with total investments worth “billions.” However, Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier cited “confidentiality reasons” and did not reveal which countries did not include Ukraine, nor did he provide details about the exact amount of support to Kyiv from SAFE loans.
Regnier noted that the Commission plans to evaluate the national plans before the end of the year, based on the criteria of the relevant regulation. If the evaluation is deemed positive, the Commission will seek approval of each plan from the EU Council, so that the first disbursement can follow, which can reach up to 15% of the loans approved for each participating country.
Commission on Canada’s integration into SAFE program: “Negotiations are going very well”
Regarding the participation of third countries in SAFE loans, Thomas Regnier confirmed that it was not possible to reach an agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom, while for Canada he said that “negotiations are going very well” and “an agreement may be reached soon.” However, he clarified that negotiations with these countries are being conducted to enable them to engage in joint defense projects, with participation above 35%.
When asked if Turkey could be integrated into SAFE programs in the future, T. Regnier stated that “according to the regulation, all third countries can participate up to 35% – all third countries can be included in the national plans that the Commission has just received.” He emphasized, however, that “the regulation is very clear regarding the protection of the interests of our member states and the EU as a whole. This means that the participation of third countries up to 35% can technically and legally be limited if we deem there is a need for such action.”
It should be noted that the 19 member states that have submitted applications for SAFE loans are: Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, and Denmark.
Greece has requested loans worth 1.2 billion euros from SAFE, and the Commission has approved an initial amount of 787.67 million euros.
