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– Last year, Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a renewed strategic partnership between our two countries. Today’s agreement can be seen as an important step
At the 34th International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, opportunities to finance the modernisation of the Armed Forces and the development of the defence industry are among the key topics of discussion. Against this backdrop, Undersecretary of State Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka addressed reports about a possible new iteration of the European SAFE instrument.
As she pointed out, two issues need to be considered separately. The first concerns funding under the current programme that some Member States may ultimately fail to use in full.
“We do not have that problem. We will definitely contract every single euro,” stressed the Undersecretary of State.
Only after Member States submit the required reports to the European Commission will it become clear how much funding could return to the common pool and be reallocated. Poland intends to be ready to apply for these funds as well.
The second issue is SAFE 2.0. The Undersecretary of State noted that such a solution is currently being discussed in Brussels, but stressed that it should not be confused with a possible reallocation of unused funds from the first programme.
The prospect of a new instrument will also be linked to the European Union’s new budget. The first SAFE instrument was introduced in response to the need to rapidly expand defence financing within the current budgetary framework. Under the next multiannual financial framework, however, security and defence are expected to play a significantly greater role.
SAFE as a Boost for the Polish Industry
Wojciech Balczun, Minister of State Assets, also highlighted the importance of substantial defence spending for domestic companies during the meeting. He stressed the need to develop capabilities and production capacity in Poland that would reduce dependence on suppliers located thousands of kilometres away.
“We need to create a system in which we are not dependent on suppliers whose production facilities are located thousands of kilometres from Poland. We need to build the expertise and capacity to act here and now,” he said.
As he noted, Poland’s high defence spending and the funding available under SAFE represent a major opportunity for the domestic industry. Investment in security is intended not only to strengthen the capabilities of the Armed Forces, but also to build the technological and production potential of Polish companies and provide the economy with a long-term growth stimulus.
(MBrz)
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