Tag: Readiness 2030

EU clears €150B SAFE fund for defence loans

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, participates in the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on 11 March, 2025 | Photo: Christophe Licoppe/EC - Audiovisual Service/European Union

The €150 billion SAFE fund will come into force on May 29, offering loans to EU states for defence procurement, that will require 65 percent of all purchases to be of European origin, with contractors required to fully control design to avoid new dependencies.

Germany unveils roadmap to 5% on defence


German Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius gives a statement at the EU Defence Ministers' Meeting in Brussels | Photo: Ansgar Haase/dpa

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius outlined a plan for Germany to increase military expenditure as a ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) by 0.2 percentage points per year over a period of seven years.