“The opposition has repeatedly warned that the deadlines for signing contracts financed through SAFE loans are excessively restrictive. They limit the negotiating capacity of Polish entities, force rushed decision-making, and ultimately weaken our bargaining position while effectively interfering with the state’s defense policy,” Michał Dworczyk, PiS MEP and former deputy defense minister, said in an interview with the Niezależna.pl portal. Poland must sign contracts under the EU SAFE program by the end of May. As noted by Niezalezna.pl, none of the agreements and annexes previously announced by the Ministry of National Defence have been concluded so far. “Failure to meet this deadline will result in Poland losing autonomy in the field of armaments,” warned Gen. Dariusz Wroński, former commander of Poland’s airmobile forces.
On May 8, a SAFE (Security Action for Europe) loan “agreement” for Poland was signed at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. In practice, this means opening a credit line for Poland under the European Union’s financial instrument. For now, however, there is no advance payment, only rising interest rates. And there is still one thing missing: signed contracts with Polish companies. Not a single one. Only a few days remain.
It should be recalled that May 30, 2026, is the final deadline for individual contracts under the so-called single procurement mechanism. A very large share of Poland’s SAFE purchases presented to Brussels in the so-called national plan consists precisely of independent procurements by the Ministry of National Defence from the Polish defense industry.
Importantly, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced during the ceremony that by the end of May, Poland would sign “40 new agreements and annexes to previously concluded contracts for military equipment deliveries. These will concern all branches of the armed forces – the Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Territorial Defence Forces, Special Forces, Cyber Defence Forces, and Drone Forces.”
The approaching deadline was highlighted by retired Brigadier General and pilot Dariusz Wroński, former commander of the airmobile forces.
“Under the EU SAFE regulation, the possibility of independent contracting (single procurement) expires on June 1. Any project submitted or left unsigned by that date must transition into the common procurement mode (joint procurement),” the expert reminded.
“The consequences for the Polish defense industry mean a loss of autonomy. Poland will no longer be able to independently designate that 100 percent of a given loan will go to Huta Stalowa Wola or PGZ. It will have to find at least two other EU states interested in the same equipment. Another consequence is the blocking of niche Polish products. If other countries are not interested in, for example, Poland’s Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles or the Baobab-K mine-laying system, Poland will not receive EU co-financing for them. It will have to fund them entirely from its already burdened national budget,”
he explained.
Poland will lose out strategically, while Berlin and Paris will benefit, Gen. Wroński leaves no doubt about that.
“The transition of the program into the common procurement phase represents a major advantage for countries with highly developed and deeply rooted defense industries in Europe, such as Germany (…). Since Germany and other Western countries promote their own standards, for example, Leopard tanks or IRIS-T air defense systems, joint EU procurement after June will naturally favor their production lines. If Poland wants to spend SAFE funds, it would have to attach itself to German or French programs,”
he added.
“The German government has long lobbied in Brussels for mechanisms consolidating the European defense market around several key players. Delays in Polish projects are pushing Poland from the role of an independent producer into the role of a customer purchasing within integrated Western European supply chains,” the expert concluded.
Drafted in haste and dictated by Brussels. Defense procurement paralysis
We asked Michał Dworczyk, PiS MEP and former deputy minister of national defense, to comment on the matter.
“The opposition repeatedly warned that the deadlines for signing contracts financed by SAFE loans were excessively restrictive. They limit the negotiating capabilities of Polish entities, intensify rushed decision-making, and ultimately worsen our negotiating position while effectively interfering with the state’s defense policy,”
the politician emphasized in an interview with Niezależna.pl.
“Problems with negotiating favorable contract conditions were visible in other countries of the region, for example, Romania. We are now witnessing the consequences of this unnecessary pressure exerted on member states by the European Commission,” he added.
“Moreover, the public does not even have access to the details of these agreements, because all processes financed through SAFE are being conducted in a non-transparent manner,” MEP Dworczyk stressed.