The European Union’s lending arm said on Thursday that it intends to spend at least €4 billion on security and defence projects Data in 2026, the same amount as last year after essentially quadrupling its funding in the sector.
Overall, the European Investment Bank (EIB) spent 5% of its financing throughout the EU on security and defence projects last year, a target it had originally set for 2026. EIB President Nadia Calviño expressed confidence that the objective will be met again in 2026, citing a “robust pipeline of projects” and a “step change” in the institution’s eligibility for military investments.
These include funding large critical infrastructure to increase military mobility and facilities, such as a military campus in Lithuania and a port expansion for military vessels in Denmark, boosting domestic industrial capabilities, financing research and development for new security and defence technologies, and improving access to financing for SMEs in the sector through partnerships with commercial banks and venture capital funds.
Since 2024, it has revised its lending policy several times to enable greater financing of security and defence projects, as member states and the European Commission seek to increase defence spending across the bloc, both to support Ukraine’s war effort and to prepare for a potential Russian military attack.
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