Green light to the European Commission Plan to provide 150 billion loans with weapons. After two months of negotiations, the twenty -seven reached an agreement on the Safe (Security Action for Europe) regulation, which will help the governments of the blockade increase investments in the defense.
“The more we invest in the equipment of our armies, the more we will discourage those who want to hurt ourselves,” wrote the Polish presidency on duty in announcing the agreement on X. Now only the formal go -ahead for the General Affairs Council of next May 27 is missing.
“Important step for a stronger EU”
The agreement reached “represents an important step towards a stronger Europe. Maintains the commitments made by the EU leaders in March, helping the Member States to invest jointly in the European defense and to strengthen our common security”, always wrote the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa.
Loans will be used to invest in air and missile defense, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition, drones and anti-drone systems, and to meet other needs, such as military mobility and protection against cybernetic attacks.
Great News for Eu #Security!#Safe Is the First Major EU Program to Incase Investment In European DefegenC Capabilities Which Becomes A Reality.
EUR 150 Billion Will Soon Be at the Disposal of Member States. pic.twitter.com/irdwacmuhf
– Polish Presidentcy of the Council of the EU (@Poland25eu) May 21, 2025
Flexibility and purchases made in EU
To encourage military spending, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has also proposed greater flexibility than the rigid rules on the budget. The new margin will allow you to spoil the spending limits up to 1.5 percent of GDP, if the funds are used to buy armaments.
In return, however, the Member States is asked to undertake to make joint purchases, to align the defensive systems of the various nations, and also to privilege the purchases of weapons produced within the Union.
According to the proposal of the Community executive, only 35 percent of the Safe funds can be used for purchases in non -EU countries or who have not signed defense agreements with the block. Among the latter there are neither the United States nor the United Kingdom, even if with London an agreement is being trading.
The rule on purchases made in the EU, however, created some moods between the twenty -seven. In fact, some governments support the need to focus on the cheaper and faster means of rearmament, regardless of the nationality of the companies that produce them.
