The European Commission has approved the national defense plans of eight EU member states, including Greece, under the European instrument SAFE – “Support to Armaments for Europe” (Action for Security in Europe).

According to the Commission’s announcement, after a “rigorous assessment” of the “National Defense Investment Plans,” a proposal was submitted to the EU Council for approval of financial support for Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Finland. The EU Council has a four-week deadline to evaluate and approve these national plans. Once approved, the Commission is expected to make the first payments in March 2026.

In mid-January, the Commission had already approved the first eight national defense plans (from Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, and Portugal). Of the nineteen countries participating in the SAFE instrument, sixteen plans have been approved so far, and the Commission continues to evaluate the plans of France, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.

It is recalled that in September 2025, the Commission approved the provisional allocation of SAFE funds, totaling €150 billion. For Greece, an amount of €787.67 million was approved, compared to the €1.2 billion requested at the end of July.

The SAFE regulation was issued on 27 May 2025 as part of the ambitious “Preparedness 2030” package of measures to strengthen EU defense. SAFE will allow member states to immediately and massively increase defense investments through joint procurement from the European defense industry. Ukraine and EEA/EFTA countries will also be able to participate in joint procurement and purchase from their industries. SAFE will also allow candidate, potential candidate, and security and defense partnership countries to participate in joint procurement and contribute to overall demand. They can also negotiate special, mutually beneficial agreements regarding the participation of their industries in these public contracts.