Euro MPs checked the importance of SAFE for Polish factories

Euro MPs from the safety and Defence Committee (SEDE) visited Polish arms plants. The intent of the visit was to check how the national manufacture was coping with the increasing request and the request to strengthen European defence. According to the Europarliamentarians, the readiness of production facilities is crucial especially in the context of the SAFE programme, i.e. almost PLN 200 billion of loans, which are intended to fund Polish armaments and let for increased production and defence potential.

– SAFE is simply a very good programme due to the fact that it provides fresh financial resources for Poland and all European countries. Poland has requested almost 1 3rd of the funds from the full programme worth EUR 150 billion. It is expected to amount to EUR 44 billion – says Newseria Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, associate of the European Parliament of the People's organization in Spain, associate of the safety and Defence Committee in the European Parliament. – The proposal has already been approved by ECOFIN and the European Commission. This means that the payment of funds will start this year and will be spread over the following years.

Government spokesperson Adam Sz Trapka reported on social media that EU associate States at finance ministers level had yet approved the SAFE programme. This ends the process at EU level. The first measures are to go to Poland in March of this year.

– These funds can be utilized for 10 years and only after that time will they be repaid with a very low marketplace rate. It is so low due to the fact that the European Union has a advanced AAA credit rating granted by global agencies and can so benefit from peculiar conditions – explains Nicolás Pascual de la Parte.

Poland is the biggest beneficiary of the programme. Nearly PLN 200 billion will be allocated to 139 defence projects, but their full list is not known. Representatives of the President's Chancellery demanded information on what would become the subject of the order and who would carry it out. MON stressed that the paper was classified for safety reasons, following arrangements with the European Commission, but that the list was to be made public after formal procedures and the method details had been classified.

– The SAFE programme is highly crucial for a front-end country, specified as Poland, due to the fact that we request to increase our country's defence capabilities, invest in the defence industry, strengthen the army and improve citizens' safety. Everything in the context of what's going on behind our east border. It is hard to realize the arguments that the SAFE programme is inadequate for needs or besides expensive. There is no more costly thing than the safety of Poles and Poles – says Marta Wcisło, associate of the European Parliament of the Civic Coalition, associate of the safety and Defence Committee in the European Parliament.

The argument regarding the cost of loans lies with the Sejm opposition, which voted against the Act on the Financial Instrument for Increase in Safety of SAFE, i.e. the creation of national structures to operate the programme. The list of objections is longer. The opposition fears, among another things, the dependence of funds on possible disputes between Polish authorities and the European Commission.

– There are no conditionality mechanisms in SAFE. This is the cheapest programme and the best origin of funding, which, firstly, does not charge the state budget, secondly, gives a punishment for 10 years. The companies we visited request to buy machines and equipment to increase their production potential. They request investment, and they will not take specified a inexpensive debt that they will not gotta pay immediately – Ms Ko explains. – During a visit to ammunition and weapons factories, we heard from them that they could produce more, for example, lightning rockets if they had the right equipment and machines. Therefore, specified money and investments are necessary.

The company Mesko is liable for producing Lightning rockets. They are considered 1 of the most effective anti-aircraft systems in the world. According to the Ministry of State Activities, it is an export hit which was purchased by Estonia, Norway or Sweden, among others, and besides proved its worth during the war in Ukraine. According to the Ministry, the funds from SAFE could be utilized to make the production of these missiles not only for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces, but besides for more exports. The Mesko mill in Skarżysko-Kamienna was 1 of respective industrial facilities which Euro MPs from the safety and Defence Committee (SEDE) visited during their visit to Poland.

– By investing money in the economy, we give fresh jobs. This is income for municipalities, it is pumping into the Polish economy of giant amounts, independency from any suppliers – emphasises Marta Wcisło.

As the government emphasizes, 80 percent of nearly PLN 200 billion from the SAFE programme is expected to scope Polish entities from the defence sector. Among these are, among others, Huta Stalowa Wola, who is to receive PLN 20 billion in the production of Krabs, Borsuk combat infantry wagons and self-propelled mortars. The programme could besides support abroad procurement for these products. another Polish plants and cities will besides benefit from the SAFE programme, including Tarnów, Czernica, Pionki, Bydgoszcz, Radom, Gdynia, Sanok and Laskowice.

– Putin doesn't want to stay in Ukraine. He set himself up in a war mode, and if we don't arm ourselves, we won't show our readiness, resilience, and that our defence consequence will be severe for him, unfortunately, he can test alliance unity. We have very small time for this. says Michał Szczerba, associate of the European Parliament of the civilian Coalition, associate of the SEDE Commission.

SAFE funds are intended to aid fund the SAN system, which is announced by the government to be the largest anti-drone solution in Europe. It will consist of 18 batteries of anti-drone systems, 52 firing platoons, 18 command platoons and 703 vehicles. On 30 January this year, MON informed of the signing of an agreement with a consortium consisting of the Polish Armed Forces Group and the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for the supply of anti-aircraft systems with the anticipation of combating unmanned aircraft.

According to the government's announcement, the funds from the SAFE programme will besides be allocated to the construction of the Shield East. Twenty-six of the 139 projects submitted by Poland in the debt application were about strengthening the safety of the east border of Poland and the European Union.

– If we have a 2030 limit erstwhile we should be full prepared to defend, then we have respective twelve months to set up the defence manufacture in an absolutely express mode so that it is flexible and can produce on a mass scale, for example drones. We request to build a drone wall, we request to build cybersecurity, besides based on the experience of another countries. Most importantly, this money will not be found anywhere another than in the fund, which is guaranteed by the European Union budget - considers the Euro MP from KO.