New SAFE program pool. EUR 21 billion for armaments is waiting for those interested

The pool comes from money not used during the first distribution of funds. Under it, 19 countries participating in the program received a total of EUR 150 billion. The largest amount was awarded to Poland - EUR 43.7 billion.

Some countries later limited their declared demand. Italy decided to use EUR 8 billion instead of EUR 15 billion, and Hungary reduced the planned amount from EUR 16 billion to EUR 5.4 billion.

Second recruitment for all EU countries

The new procedure is open to all Member States. Therefore, countries that did not participate in the first recruitment will also be able to apply for loans.

European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier, when asked about the rules for the possible distribution of money if the amount requested exceeds the available pool, noted that the EC wants to check first of all whether the entire EUR 21.3 billion can be used.

He also denied that the condition for obtaining funds was to allocate them to support Ukraine. The regulations have not changed. This is simply a new recruitment, so the criteria remain the same, he said.

Regnier recalled that the SAFE program is based on joint procurement, and Ukraine has been included in this mechanism from the beginning.

The war is intensifying, so we strongly encourage member states to do everything in their power to implement joint projects (...) so that the available resources can benefit both the national defense industries and Ukraine in the current realities, he emphasized.

Poland still no decision

The SAFE program is intended to increase EU countries' spending on defense and the development of the European arms industry. It assumes support worth EUR 150 billion, including: in the form of low-interest loans for the purchase of arms and military equipment.

Poland has not yet decided whether it will apply for money in the second call for proposals. The deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, said on October 8 in Brussels that the case remains open. She pointed out that the funds from the new pool would have to be settled by 2030.

On Friday, Poland is to submit the first application to the European Commission for the payment of over EUR 6 billion from the SAFE program. In May, we already received an advance payment of EUR 6.5 billion.

According to Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, the Armament Agency concluded 39 contracts and 12 annexes under SAFE with a total value of PLN 120 billion. The share of Polish industry in these orders is to be 99.5%.