On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on social media that Poland has submitted a preliminary declaration to the European Commission to obtain a loan under the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) instrument, totaling approximately 45 billion EUR (192.6 billion PLN).
Polska złożyła do KE wstępną deklarację na pozyskanie pożyczki w ramach unijnego programu SAFE. Chcemy, by pieniądze z tego funduszu wzmocniły kluczowe zdolności Wojska Polskiego oraz nasze programy bezpieczeństwa, w tym m. in. program "Tarcza Wschód". Zebraliśmy projekty na…
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) July 29, 2025
“Poland has submitted a preliminary declaration to the European Commission to obtain a loan under the EU’s SAFE program. We want the funds from this instrument to strengthen the key capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and support our security initiatives, including the East Shield program,” wrote the Minister of National Defence on the social media platform X. “We have gathered projects amounting to an impressive sum of approximately 45 billion euro, but the final amount we receive will depend on the total number of applications and how the European Commission allocates the funds among member states. Securing these funds represents a tangible investment in our security and the development of our defense industry. It is also a contribution to strengthening the security, deterrence, and defense capabilities of the entire EU and NATO.”
On Friday, July 25, the Council of Ministers authorized the Minister of National Defence to submit the Call for Expression of Interest to the European Commission.
Poland’s goal is to further develop its defense capabilities. In light of the threat posed by Russia, the European Union and its member states must immediately and at scale increase their efforts to invest in their defense and industrial capabilities. To that end, the European Commission has presented a five-pillar plan called ReArm Europe. The SAFE instrument is one of its pillars, aimed at unlocking EU budget resources to support and accelerate national investments in the defense industry.
SAFE is a loan-based program with a ceiling of 150 billion EUR. For Poland, utilizing funds from SAFE may serve as an alternative and more cost-effective source of financing for military procurement, compared to issuing sovereign bonds. The loans will be guaranteed by the EU budget. SAFE is designed to support EU countries in implementing urgent and large-scale investments in products sourced from the European defense industry. Mechanisms built into the SAFE instrument are expected to foster economies of scale, allowing for procurement at lower costs.
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