Brussels, 25/03/2026 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 25 March, the European Commission approved the investment plans of France and the Czech Republic, supported respectively with €15.09 billion and €2.06 billion under the European ‘SAFE’ instrument which provides loans to Member States to increase their military spending (see EUROPE 13827/28). It should be noted that the French plan initially had a budget of €16.22 billion (see EUROPE 13705/18). The two plans still have to be adopted by the EU Council. Of the 19 EU countries that have made use of the instrument, Hungary is the last Member State whose national plan, worth €16.22 billion, has not yet been approved by the EU institution. “The assessment is ongoing”, said Thomas Régnier, spokesman for the Commission. Some believe that the blockage is due to the Hungarian government’s refusal to approve the 20th package of European sanctions against Russia and the EU loan to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027. (MB)