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EU Approves Greece's Defence Plan Under SAFE Programme

Published January 27, 2026, 11:08
EU Approves Greece's Defence Plan Under SAFE Programme

The European Commission has approved the national defence plans of eight member states, including Greece, under the European SAFE instrument – “Action for Security in Europe”. The approval follows a “rigorous assessment” of the National Defence Investment Plans and is a prerequisite for the provision of financial support. The EU Council has four weeks to evaluate and approve the plans, with initial payments expected in March 2026. In total, plans from 16 out of the 19 countries participating in SAFE have been approved, while the Commission continues to assess the proposals from France, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The SAFE instrument, with a total volume of 150 billion euros, will allow member states to increase their defence investments through joint procurement from the European defence industry. For Greece, an initial amount of 787.67 million euros has been approved, compared to the 1.2 billion euros requested. SAFE is part of the “Readiness 2030” package of measures to strengthen EU defence. Furthermore, SAFE will allow participation in joint procurement by countries outside the EU, such as Ukraine and the EFTA/EEA countries, as well as countries in the process of accession or with security and defence partnerships with the EU. This will contribute to increasing overall demand and strengthening the European defence industry.