EU approves second SAFE defence loan wave of €74bn; Poland leads CEE beneficiaries (visegradinsight.eu)

• Commission approved second SAFE wave totalling €74bn in loans to eight states
• CEE receives about €99bn of the €150bn total; Poland gets €43.7bn, Romania €16.7bn
• Hungary’s share conditional on rule of law; procurement prioritises Shield East

"The European Commission has approved a second wave of defence financing under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, offering an estimated €74bn in loans to Poland, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland. Of the total €150bn EU budget allocation, Central and Eastern European states receive about €99bn, with Poland's share at €43.7bn and Romania at €16.7bn. Hungary's funding is conditional on rule-of-law compliance. Most procurement supports the Shield East initiative against Russia and is expected to benefit defence SMEs in Three Seas Initiative countries."