Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION on making the financial assistance under Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 available to France
Date: 2026-03-25
Institutions: Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space, European Commission
Subjects: EU financial instrument, EU investment, European defence policy, European security, France, common defence procurement, defence expenditure, defence industry, military equipment, strategic autonomy

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 25.3.2026  COM(2026) 145 final 2026/0081 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION on making the financial assistance under Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 available to France  
 
2026/0081 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION 

on making the financial assistance under Regulation (EU) 2025/1106 available to France 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 

Having  regard  to  Council  Regulation  (EU)  2025/1106  of  27  May  2025  establishing  the 
Security  Action  for  Europe  (SAFE)  through  the  Reinforcement  of  the  European  Defence 
Industry Instrument1 and in particular Article 8 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

The  Commission  launched  a  call  for  expressions  of  interest  to  receive  financial 
assistance under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) through the Reinforcement 
of  the  European  Defence  Industry  Instrument  (the  ‘SAFE  instrument’),  requesting 
Member States to provide for an indicative maximum and minimum loan amount. By 
29  August  2025,  19  Member  States  had  expressed  interest  in  obtaining  financial 
assistance under Regulation (EU) 2025/1106. 

On 9 September 2025, the Commission notified the requesting Member States of the 
tentative allocation of the loan amounts per Member State. 

On 28 November 2025,  France submitted a request in accordance with Article 7(1) 
of  Regulation  (EU)  2025/1106  for  financial  assistance  (the  ‘request’)  accompanied 
by a European defence industry investment plan (the ‘plan’). 

The Commission assessed the request against the applicable conditions laid down in 
Regulation (EU) 2025/1106. 

In  accordance  with  Article  7  of  Regulation  (EU)  2025/1106,  the  plan  was  duly 
reasoned and substantiated and set out  a description of the defence products and of 
the  other  products  for  defence  purposes,  and  where  relevant,  a  description  of  the 
foreseen  involvement  of  Ukraine  in  the  planned  activities,  expenditures  and 
measures, or of foreseen actions for the benefit of Ukraine. 

The Commission found that the request fulfils the conditions laid down in Article 4 
of  Regulation  (EU)  2025/1106  for  using  the  SAFE  instrument.  In  particular,  it 
ensures  that  activities,  expenditures  and  measures  related  to  defence  products  or 
other  products  for  defence  purposes  are  carried  through  common  procurements  or 
single procurements. Such activities, expenditures and measures are also to have one 
or  more  of  the  following  objectives:  speeding  up  the  adjustment  of  the  defence 
industry to structural changes, improving the timely availability of defence products 
or ensuring interoperability and interchangeability across the Union.  

(7) 

The  Commission  also  found  that  the  request  contains  a  description  of  the  planned 
measures  aimed  at  ensuring  compliance  with  Article  16  of  Regulation  (EU) 

1 

OJ L, 2025/1106, 28.5.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/1106/oj. 

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(8) 

(9) 

(10) 

(11) 

(12) 

2025/1106  and  the  procurement  rules  set  out  in  that  Regulation,  including  a 
description of how that compliance is to be ensured. 

As  a  result,  in  accordance  with  Article  8(2)  of  Regulation  (EU)  2025/1106,  the 
Commission  found  that  the  request  fulfils  the  conditions  laid  down  in  that 
Regulation, in particular those provided for in Article 4, Article 7(2) and Article 16. 

In accordance with Article 8(5) of Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, the Commission has 
considered the existing and expected financial needs of France as well as requests for 
financial  assistance  pursuant  to  that  Regulation  already  submitted  or  planned  to  be 
submitted by other Member States, while applying the principles of equal treatment, 
solidarity, proportionality and transparency. 

This  Decision should be without prejudice to  the outcome of any procedures under 
Regulation  (EU)  2024/1263  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council2  and 
under Council Regulation (EC) No 1467/973. 

This Decision should be without prejudice to the relevant rules adopted pursuant to 
Article  322  of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  in  particular 
Regulations  (EU,  Euratom)  2024/25094  and  (EU,  Euratom)  2020/20925  of  the 
European Parliament and of the Council. 

In accordance with Article 10(2) of Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, the loan agreement 
to be entered into with France should set out all appropriate measures necessary for 
the protection of the Union´s financial interests, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

Article 1 

It is hereby established that the Commission has assessed the request for financial assistance 
under  the  Security  Action  for  Europe  (SAFE)  through  the  Reinforcement  of  the  European 
Defence Industry Instrument submitted by  France on 28 November 2025 and found that the 
request fulfils the conditions laid down in Regulation (EU) 2025/1106, in particular those in 
Article 4, Article 7(2) and Article 16. Financial assistance shall be made available to  France 
accordingly. 

1.  The  Union  shall  make  available  to  France  a  loan  amounting  to  a  maximum  of  EUR  15, 
090,941,144. 

Article 2 

2 

3 

4 

5 

L 

the 

(OJ 

1466/97 

excessive 

Regulation 

(EC)  No 

Regulation  (EU)  2024/1263  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  29  April  2024  on  the 
effective  coordination  of  economic  policies  and  on  multilateral  budgetary  surveillance  and  repealing 
Council 
ELI: 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1263/oj). 
Council Regulation (EC) No 1467/97 of 7 July 1997 on speeding up and clarifying the implementation 
ELI: 
of 
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1997/1467/oj). 
Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 
2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L,  2024/2509, 26.9.2024, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj). 
Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 
2020  on  a  general  regime  of  conditionality  for  the  protection  of  the  Union  budget  (OJ  L  433  I, 
22.12.2020, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2092/oj). 

2024/1263, 

30.4.2024, 

procedure 

2.8.1997, 

deficit 

209, 

(OJ 

6, 

p. 

L 

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2 

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2.  The  Commission  shall  make  loan  support  available  to  France.  An  amount  of  EUR 
2,263,641,171.60 shall be made available as a pre-financing payment. 

This Decision shall take effect on the date of its notification. 

Article 3 

This Decision is addressed to the French Republic. 

Article 4 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

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