EU countries have been invited to apply for a second round of funding worth €21.3 billion under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument
The call is open to all EU member states, with countries asked to submit the amounts they want to access under the scheme, the European Commission said in a statement on Thursday.
Once it has received the requested target amounts, the Commission will tell member states their tentative allocations within two weeks of the submission deadline.
SAFE provides long-maturity loans — borrowing that can be paid back over an extended period — and forms part of a wider €150 billion package adopted in May 2025.
Support to Ukraine and priority areas
Member states were encouraged to use funding from this round to strengthen co-operation with Ukraine by including joint procurement with Ukraine in their investment plans.
Countries were also told to prioritise urgent needs for Ukraine’s and member states’ armed forces in air and missile defence systems, drones and counter-drone systems, and ammunition and missiles.
Member states submitted their defence industry plans to the Commission in November 2025, with some asking for lower amounts than initially agreed.
Loan agreements have been approved for all 19 member states that chose to take part in SAFE, and agreements have been signed for 16 of them.
Almost €13.5 billion has already been paid out to 11 member states that requested pre-financing.
SAFE is listed as a component of the EU’s “Readiness 2030” initiative.
