EU Agrees to Launch €150bn Loans-for-Arms Scheme

EU countries greenlight €150 billion loan plan for joint defence procurement

The "SAFE" plan is aimed at boosting joint European defence procurement, replenishing military stocks and ramping up Europe's defence industry.

Knowing the score: Why EU rearmament must be grounded in political consensus

Soldier figures stand in front of the European Union flag in Knurow, Poland, on April 19, 2025. (Photo by Klaudia Radecka/NurPhoto) | picture alliance / NurPhoto | Klaudia Radecka “The times they are a-changin” and—six decades after Bob Dylan released his folk classic in the decade of “peace and love”—politicians are breaking long-standing taboos on European defence almost daily. In March, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen propo…

EU members preliminarily agree to launch 150-billion-euro defense fund, source says

The new mechanism, proposed by the European Commission in March, will allow member states to borrow money from the EU to purchase weapons and military equipment.

EU finalises €150bn loan scheme to rearm

EU countries have finalised a plan for a €150billion loan programme to help rearm in the face of Russia and worries over US reliability, diplomats said Monday.The SAFE borrowing scheme backed by the EU's central budget was proposed by Brussels in March as the bloc rushes to boost its defences. Member states haggled over what...

EU’s €150 Billion Defense Fund Receives Preliminary Approval

The European Union’s 27 member states gave initial approval to a €150 billion ($169 billion) defense fund that will distribute money to countries looking to invest in security capabilities such as ammunition, drones and the protection of critical infrastructure, according to people familiar with the matter.

BRUSSELS - European Union countries have agreed in principle on a proposal for a 150 billion euro fund to strengthen European defense, known as the Security Action for Europe (SAFE), an EU diplomat confirmed today.