Defense: signature of the European SAFE loan agreement of €15.1 billion for the benefit of France | Sea and Navy

On the sidelines of the Eurosatory show, Ministers Catherine Vautrin and Roland Lescure signed with European Commissioners Andrius Kubilius and Piotr Serafin the loan agreement of €15.1 billion as part of the European SAFE instrument, on June 17, 2026.

This signature marks a major step in the realization of a more robust defense industry, thanks to the implementation of joint acquisitions on a European scale.

At the Eurosatory exhibition in Villepinte (93), the Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans, the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, the European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius and the Commissioner responsible for budget, fight against fraud and public administration Piotr Serafin signed a loan agreement of €15.1 billion as part of the European SAFE instrument on June 17.

The SAFE instrument is part of the ReArm Europe roadmap, a set of measures intended to provide European Union (EU) member states with financial levers in order to accelerate the ramp-up of investment in defense capabilities.

Adopted on May 27, 2025, SAFE allows member states to benefit from loans granted by the European Commission, for a total envelope of 150 billion euros, at a preferential rate. This funding aims to enable Member States to carry out joint acquisitions in priority capability areas, and thus promote the rise of the European defense industrial and technological base, on the basis of robust European preference criteria.

With this signature, France reaffirms its commitment to building a defense Europe that is more sovereign, more resilient and capable of collectively responding to current and future security challenges.