Eighteen countries have submitted applications for loans provided by the Commission to support defense initiatives, with Poland seeking more than a third of the overall requested amount.
The European Union's executive body announced on Wednesday that Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Finland have sought access to so-called SAFE loans by its informal deadline of 29 July.
The sum they asked for totals €127 billion.
The country's vice prime minister stated that the projects submitted to the Commission had an estimated total cost of "around €45 billion".
"We aim to use the funds from this program to enhance the core capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces and our security initiatives, including, but not limited to, the 'Eastern Shield' program," Władysław Kosiniak-Kamyszwrote in a message on X.
"The ultimate sum we obtain will be influenced by the volume of applications and how the EC distributes the funds across member countries. Obtaining these resources represents a concrete investment in the safety and growth of our defense sector. It also enhances the security, deterrence power, and defense of the whole EU and NATO," he added.
Warsaw's military expenditure has increased from 2.7% of GDP in 2022 to 4.2% in 2024 — the highest rate among all NATO members. It is expected to reach 4.7% this year.
The Commission's weapons-for-loans initiative, known as SAFE, is a central component of the'Readiness 2030' proposalwhich seeks to have hundreds of billions of euros allocated to defense throughout the EU by the end of the decade.
The European Union's executive body, which holds a stronger credit rating than several member countries, intends to raise as much as €150 billion in the markets via a program allowing member states to jointly fund defense purchases.
The EU's unity and aspirations in security and defense were highlighted by the "strong interest" in the initiative, according to Defence and Space Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, who made the comment in a statement.
The deadline for official submission is set for 30 November 2025, indicating that the number of member states interested in accessing SAFE and the amounts requested could rise. A Commission representative told Euronews that Kubilius is communicating with additional member states and is "quite confident" that this number will go up.
To obtain SAFE loans, the projects must incorporate a European preference - meaning that approximately two-thirds of the value of the weapon system being purchased must originate from an EU member state, Ukraine, or a European Economic Area/European Free Trade Association country.
Several other third countries, however, are hoping to be able to take part at the same level as EU member states. These includethe UK and Canadaalthough they must first negotiate a bilateral agreement that will involve a financial contribution.
An additional requirement for SAFE is that the projects should focus on key capabilities such as munitions, drones and anti-drone technologies, air defense, and military logistics, among other areas.
Some member nations where increasing defense spending is a politically delicate issue might choose to secure loans to fund purchases for Ukraine. Other countries, such as Germany, have suggested they could participate in SAFE procurement initiatives but would cover the costs from their own budgets.