industry
16 EU Countries Receive Green Light for SAFE Loans
The EU Council has approved the plans of 16 member states within the SAFE programme for defence investments, with the first loan disbursements expected in March. Nordic countries such as Denmark and Finland, along with the Baltic states, are among the approved nations.
The EU Council has approved the national plans of 16 member states within the SAFE programme, giving the green light for extensive defence investments. The first disbursements of long-term loans are expected to begin as early as March.
Security Action for Europe (SAFE) is an EU initiative that provides financial support to member states to strengthen defence readiness and enable extensive investments in the European defence industry. A total of 19 countries have submitted national plans under the programme.
Nordic Defence Sector previously reported that the EU Commission has so far approved national plans for 16 of the 19 applicant countries, in two rounds on 15 January and 26 January. After the Commission's approval, it was up to the EU Council to adopt the implementation decisions, which was to occur within four weeks of the decision.
The EU Council has now given the green light to the first 16 countries, including Denmark, Finland, and all the Baltic states. This means that the Commission can begin disbursing the long-term loans, with the first disbursements expected as early as March.
The 16 countries that have now received the green light from both the EU Commission and the EU Council are: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain.
An additional three countries, France, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, are still awaiting the Commission's approval.
Maximum loan amounts for Nordic countries within the SAFE programme:
Denmark € 46,796,822
Estonia € 2,343,897,000
Finland € 1,000,000,000
Latvia € 3,497,870,000
Lithuania € 6,375,487,000
FAQ
- Hur fungerar SAFE-programmet för försvarsinvesteringar?
- SAFE-programmet ger EU-medlemsstater finansiellt stöd för att stärka försvarsberedskapen. Det möjliggör omfattande investeringar i den europeiska försvarsindustrin. Totalt har 19 länder lämnat in nationella planer. Senast faktagranskad: 2026-02-19.
- Vilka länder har fått godkännande för SAFE-lån?
- De 16 länder som fått godkännande för SAFE-lån inkluderar Belgien, Bulgarien, Kroatien, Cypern, Danmark, Estland, Finland, Grekland, Italien, Lettland, Litauen, Polen, Portugal, Rumänien, Slovakien och Spanien. Ytterligare tre länder väntar på godkännande. Senast faktagranskad: 2026-02-19.
- När förväntas de första utbetalningarna av SAFE-lån ske?
- De första utbetalningarna av SAFE-lån förväntas ske i mars. EU-kommissionen kan nu påbörja utbetalningarna efter EU-rådets godkännande. Detta markerar starten på långfristiga lån till godkända medlemsländer. Senast faktagranskad: 2026-02-19.