"We got it! The European Commission has announced that EUR 43.7 billion from the SAFE programme will go to Poland! 19 associate States submitted applications to the EC for a full of EUR 150 billion. This decision is simply a large success of Poland and a warrant of further investment in the safety and improvement of our arms industry" – wrote the head of MON Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on platform X.
As he pointed out, the government wants the money from this fund to strengthen the key capabilities of the Polish Army, air defence and rocket defence, artillery systems, ammunition purchases, drones and anti-drone systems.
"It will besides support strategical capacity, critical infrastructure, military mobility and cyberspace," he added.
"43 billion EUR 700 million (!) from the European SAFE safety fund for Poland. Definitely the most of all EU countries! These are inexpensive loans spread over 45 years. Polish share greater than France, Italy and Spain combined. We do, we don't talk!" – we read in the entry of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Billions from Europe for Poland. What is SAFE? We explain
As our InnPoland service, the SAFE programme, launched in May this year under the Polish Presidency of the EU, has already explained, it is simply a fresh financial instrument aimed at strengthening the defence readiness of the associate States. It provides for loans of up to EUR 150 billion with a long repayment period and favourable conditions that governments can devote to urgent purchases of military equipment and equipment.
The programme is part of a broader strategy aimed at spending up to EUR 800 billion in defence investments by the end of the decade.
SAFE focuses on cooperation between countries: to get funding, projects must be implemented jointly by at least 2 EU countries, Ukraine or EEA/EFTA countries. This will prevent the fragmentation of the European arms manufacture and facilitate cooperation between associate States' armies. Single state purchases will only be possible during the first period of the programme.
The SAFE programme is part of a broader improvement of EU defence policy, which for the first time assumes direct support for military investment by individual associate States. Although detailed information on the projects covered by the grant has not yet been disclosed, it is known that part of the funds will be allocated to the improvement of defence infrastructure at the east border of the Union – under the Tarcza East initiative.
