Polish parliament approves bill on EU SAFE program

WARSAW, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Poland's lower house of parliament, the Sejm, on Friday approved a bill allowing the country to access the European Union (EU)'s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, the Polish Press Agency reported.

Approved in May 2025, SAFE is a 150-billion-euro (177.26-billion-U.S. dollars) EU scheme aimed at expanding joint production and procurement of defense equipment.

Poland is eligible for around 43.7 billion euros (51.6 billion dollars) of the SAFE program, making it the largest beneficiary. About 89 percent of the funds are expected to go to Polish defense companies, the government said.

The bill now goes to President Karol Nawrocki, who has 21 days to decide whether to sign it into law or veto it. Poland can still access SAFE funds even if the bill were vetoed, though this could make it harder to finance some non-military security projects.

The SAFE program has become a political flashpoint in Poland in recent weeks. Supporters see it as a major opportunity to modernize the military, while opposition parties argue it could allow the European Commission to interfere in Poland's defense policy. ■