A letter delivered to Brussels late Wednesday evening formally closes months of a standoff between Rome and the European Commission over Safe funds for defense. Italy will use part of the reserved loans, not the entire package made available by the Union.
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What is Safe
Safe, acronym for Security Action for Europe, is the tool through which the EU raises up to 150 billion euros on the capital markets by issuing common bonds, then passes them on to member states as long-term loans at a concessional rate, with maturities up to 45 years and a ten-year grace period.
Effective from May 29, 2025, it represents the first pillar of the ReArm Europe plan, later renamed Readiness 2030. Between February 11 and April 10, 2026, the Council approved the plans of 18 member countries, including Italy, which had reserved 14.9 billion, the third highest amount after Poland, Romania, and France.
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Almost 9 billion for Italy
In the final request, the amount drops to 8.9 billion: “almost 9,” as defined by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on the sidelines of the Rimini meeting. “We decided to use less (compared to the 14.9 billion reserved, ed.) because more investment is needed in healthcare and social policies, the crisis caused by the war in Iran has brought changes,” Tajani explained, adding that the Ministry of Defense will now prepare the list of projects to be financed, “in many cases already planned in collaboration with other states.”
What can be invested in
The resources can finance two categories of defense products, according to EU regulation 2025/1106. Category I includes ammunition and missiles, artillery systems with long-range precision strike capability, land combat capabilities and soldier equipment, small drones and related anti-drone systems, protection of critical infrastructure, cyber capabilities, and military mobility.
