November 30 is the deadline for the submission of national plans by the 19 EU member states that have applied for loans under the new European defence-support instrument, SAFE, which has a total envelope of €150 billion.

According to Commission spokesperson Tomás Renier, “SAFE is an emergency instrument, and the European Commission will move quickly.” He indicated that the Commission is likely to complete its assessment of the national plans before the end of the year. If the evaluations are positive, the final approval must then be granted by the EU Council, which will allow the release of the first disbursement—up to 15% of the loan amount requested by each member state.

This initial tranche, Renier explained, will enable member states to engage with defence industries and begin implementing their armament programmes.

Third-country participation

Asked about the potential involvement of South Korea and Turkey, Renier clarified that both countries have missed the 30 November deadline.

“I can confirm that these two countries will not meet the 30 November deadline. It is too late. South Korea and Turkey have formally requested to participate in SAFE, but the Commission has not yet examined their request,”
he said.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations with the United Kingdom and Canada, which have been under discussion for two months, Renier noted that the Commission is working constructively to reach an agreement. However, he stressed that if no agreement is reached by 30 November:

“The door of SAFE is always open for these two countries.”

He added that both the UK and Canada, under standard rules, may participate in SAFE-funded joint defence programmes up to 35% of the total project cost.

Requirements for Member States

By 30 November, member states must submit detailed proposals outlining:

• the specific projects they intend to invest in,

• the corresponding budgets,

• and the partners involved in each programme.

After this deadline, the Commission will be able to announce which countries submitted their plans on time.

As a reminder, Greece submitted a request for €1.2 billion in SAFE loans at the end of July 2025.