Greece receives the first tranche from the SAFE program - It is 118.2 million euros, 15% of the total amount

According to a statement by the European Commission, the €118.2 million represents 15% of the total €787.7 million approved for Greece. This is pre-financing, which will allow the country to accelerate priority investments in defence, strengthen its resilience and modernise its military capabilities in support of common European objectives.

This payment comes after the completion of all required procedural steps and reflects the EU’s commitment to provide timely and practical support through SAFE. Further payments to Greece will follow as agreed milestones and implementation are achieved.

European Commissioner: SAFE strengthens national preparedness and our shared European resilience
Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, said: “Today’s first payment to Greece under SAFE is a clear sign that Europe is delivering: strengthening our common security and supporting our defence industrial base. By helping Greece move forward with essential investments, SAFE strengthens not only national preparedness, but also our shared European resilience and strategic responsibility.”

SAFE is a €150 billion financial instrument that provides loans to Member States to strengthen defence. It mainly finances joint procurement of ammunition, missiles, air defence systems and land weapons systems produced within the European Union. It is a key pillar of the ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan, aiming to mobilise over €800 billion in defence investment at European level.

SAFE aims to rapidly and coordinatedly enhance the defence capabilities of Member States, improve the interoperability of European armed forces and strengthen the European defence industrial base through joint procurement and closer cross-border cooperation.

The SAFE instrument is financed through European Union borrowing from international financial markets, which allows for the granting of long-term loans on competitive terms, taking advantage of the EU's high credit rating. The loans will be repaid by the Member States that will receive them.