The European Commission predicts that at least 20 European Union member states will submit applications to participate in the European Defense Fund loan scheme, known as "Security Actions in Europe" (SAFE), which has a resource of 150 billion euros. The funds are intended to strengthen European defense capacity, Reuters reported, BTA reports.
“We can say with a high degree of confidence that we count on at least 20 countries to at least show interest“, the European Commission spokesman for the digital economy, research and innovation, Thomas Renier, told journalists.
So far, nine member states have expressed official interest in the loans under the program: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Hungary and Lithuania.