Security Action for Europe

Throughout its history, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has regularly taken the initiative to finance military projects in Europe. At the beginning of 2025, EU member states began calling for the creation of a separate fund and a European rearmament bank.

SAFE is an initiative stemming from the White Paper for European Defence and the ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030^[4] and will be able to start with initial funding of €150 billion, which is expected to reach €200 billion later in 2025. Public and private contributions are being sought to reach the target of €800 billion.^[5][6][7]

SAFE is also seen as a tool for achieving NATO's financial goal, the 5% budget standard per country, as defined at the 2025 The Hague NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands.

In May 2025, the European Council announced the final approval of the SAFE instrument at a General Affairs Council (GAC) meeting, with only Hungary abstaining, including a €150 billion loan package for joint purchases of military equipment.^[8]

In December 2025, Canada signed an agreement with the European Union to join the SAFE initiative. It is the first non-European country to participate in the program. This agreement gives Canadian defense companies greater access to European markets. Previously, Canada had joined ReArm Europe, a European defense initiative.^[9][10]

• 2020s European rearmament
• Readiness 2030
• European Union Global Strategy