Croatia secures €1.7 billion as EU approves defense plans

The European Commission has endorsed the national defense plans of eight EU member states, including Croatia, as part of a broader effort to strengthen Europe’s security capabilities.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that the European Union has made unprecedented progress on defense in the past year.

“Last year, the EU made more progress in defense than in the previous decades combined. The White Paper and the Readiness Roadmap 2030 have enabled member states to mobilize up to €800 billion for defense,” von der Leyen said. “This includes €150 billion for joint procurement under the SAFE initiative. We have now approved an initial batch of SAFE plans for Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal and Romania. The others will follow shortly. It is now urgent for the Council to approve these plans to allow for rapid disbursement.”

The new EU financial instrument, known as Security Action for Europe (SAFE), earmarks €150 billion to boost European defense capabilities through joint procurement.

Under the plan, Croatia has been allocated €1.7 billion.

The next step is approval by the European Council, which has up to four weeks to sign off on the plans. The first disbursements to member states are expected in March 2026.