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EU backs €150bn defence fund in win for Polish presidency

27.05.2025 13:40
The European Union on Tuesday approved a landmark €150 billion SAFE programme to boost its defence industry, with no member state voting against and only Hungary abstaining - a notable  diplomatic success for Poland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
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Polish Minister for the European Union Adam Szlapka rings the bell at the start of a European General Affairs Council in Brussels, Belgium, 27 May 2025.
Polish Minister for the European Union Adam Szlapka rings the bell at the start of a European General Affairs Council in Brussels, Belgium, 27 May 2025. Photo: Olivier Hoslet/PAP/EPA

Click on the player icon above for an audio report by Marcin Matuszewski.


The decision was announced on social media by Poland’s Minister for European Union Affairs, Adam Szłapka.

The SAFE programme will come into force once the regulation is published in the EU’s Official Journal - a step expected within days or weeks, according to Szłapka.

The politician described it as the EU’s first major initiative aimed at boosting the defence industry and said it could offer significant opportunities for Polish subcontractors and the wider economy.

Under the scheme, Poland will be allowed in the first year to fund national projects rather than joint EU ones - a concession it secured to complete investments already under way.

The Polish government says it is ready to access the fund’s low-interest loans, which include a 10-year grace period and repayment terms extending to 2070 - conditions officials say would be unavailable on the private market.

(mp)

Source: IAR/PAP/X/@POLAND25EU