eu funding — eu funding — Cyprus is set to receive €1 billion in funding from the European Union as part of its Security Action for Europe (Safe) programme. The European Commission confirmed the disbursement of €1,181,503,924 on Thursday, which is a significant boost for the island’s defence capabilities.
This funding initiative is part of a larger €150 billion allocation aimed at enhancing security across the EU. Alongside Cyprus, 18 other member states are also expected to benefit from this financial support.
Eu funding: Major Allocations to Other EU Nations
Poland tops the list of beneficiaries, receiving an impressive €43.7 billion. Romania and France follow closely with allocations just over €16 billion each. Greece, while receiving a smaller amount, will still gain approximately €788 million, slightly less than Cyprus.
Common Procurement Strategy for Military Hardware
The Safe programme encourages EU member states and allies to collaborate on “common procurements” for military equipment. This strategy is designed to ensure that at least two participating countries join forces for any procurement initiative.
Eligibility and Broader Participation
All EU member states qualify for the Safe programme, which also extends to Ukraine and four European Economic Area nations—namely Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Additionally, six countries that have signed common defence agreements with the EU, including Albania, Japan, Moldova, North Macedonia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, are also eligible.
Cyprus’s Commitment to Defence Collaboration
The Cypriot government has formally indicated its intention to engage in the Safe programme’s common procurement component. This announcement came during a visit from officials of the EU’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG-Defis) in July.
Panayiotis Hadjipavlis, the procurement director at the defence ministry, expressed that the government is actively communicating with allied nations, especially Greece, to explore joint procurement opportunities. This collaboration aims to streamline defence acquisitions while fostering stronger ties between member states.