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Commission approved the first two waves of defence funding for sixteen Member States under SAFE

In January, the European Commission has endorsed the national defence plans of sixteen Member States, marking a milestone in Europe's push to strengthen its security. The Commission submitted a proposal to the Council to approve financial assistance for Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. This decision follows a rigorous assessment of the countries' "National Defence Investment Plans" under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative. The endorsement paves the way for the first wave of low-cost, long-term loans to be released, allowing these nations to urgently scale up their military readiness and acquire needed modern defence equipment.

SAFE | Security Action for Europe

Adopted by the Council of the European Union on the 27th of May 2025, Security Action for Europe (SAFE) is the EU's new financial instrument designed to support Member States in joint investments in

https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-defence-industry/safe-security-action-europe_en

Commission presents a financial support package for Ukraine for 2026-2027

The European Commission adopted a set of legislative proposals to secure continuous financial support to Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. This marks a significant milestone in the EU's strong support for the country's defence against Russia's war of aggression.This financial commitment will take the form of a €90 billion limited recourse loan to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027 – known as the Ukraine Support Loan. The proposed support would be structured in two components, with approximately two thirds, amounting to €60 billion, allocated to military assistance, and the remaining one third, corresponding to €30 billion, provided as general budget support. The support will help Ukraine strengthen its defence capabilities and ensure the continued functioning of the state and basic public services, while also contributing to Ukraine's resilience and its closer integration with Europe's defence industrial base.

Press corner

Highlights, press releases and speeches

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/home/en

EDF MaJoR project launches first cascade funding call

The first EDF MaJoR cascade funding call opened on 28 January 2026, and will remain so until 25 March 2026, 17:00 CET. The MaJoR project focuses on modernising defence systems and improving the durability of future platforms through innovative technologies for maintenance, joining and repair of multi-material structures across air, sea, and land domains. Under the European Defence Fund (EDF), projects can provide financial support to third parties (FSTP), also known as cascade funding. This first FSTP sub-call is looking for up to 30 innovators to act as technological solution providers and address specific innovation challenges across the three domains. Successful applicants will receive up to €60,000 in funding and participate in a 6-month business development support programme.

EDF MaJoR project launches first cascade funding call

The first EDF MaJoR cascade funding call opens today, 28 January 2026, and will remain so until 25 March 2026, 17:00 CET.

https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/edf-major-project-launches-first-cascade-funding-call-2026-01-28_en

EU Defence observer

Latest news Addressing key technology areas for defence readiness: EDF in action Defence project results in focus Defence in European regions Meet us at This is the Defence newsletter developped by

https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/defis_ext/newsletter-archives/71675