€14.5 Billion from EIB for Defense – Greece at the Center of Strategic Autonomy

Greece is entering a new investment phase, as the European Investment Bank (EIB) expands its institutional framework to explicitly include security and defense projects, including purely military initiatives. 2024 and 2025 are emerging as pivotal years, with Greece already absorbing €2.2 billion in new funding, focused on energy, infrastructure, and SMEs, strengthening the country’s growth trajectory and economic cohesion.

Over a five-year horizon, the total EIB support to Greece reaches €14.5 billion, with potential investment leverage of up to €6.6 billion for 2024 alone. 60% of funds have been allocated to sustainable energy, networks, and natural resources, supporting the energy transition and resilience against climate risks. Meanwhile, 28% of funding supported SMEs and mid-caps through intermediary loans and guarantees, mobilizing capital up to €1.8 billion via the EIF.

Greece now has the opportunity to link its traditional priorities – energy, ports, infrastructure, and innovation – with dual-use and defense-related projects. Civil protection and preparedness programs, such as firefighting aircraft and rescue equipment, create a bridge toward defense investments under the EU’s expanded funding framework.

By 2026, Greece faces a favorable investment environment, with a strong banking system, improved asset quality, and greater access to international markets. The EIB acts as a multiplier, reducing capital costs, accelerating projects, and mitigating investment risks. The integration of dual-use and defense-related projects into a mature investment pipeline will determine the country’s ability to fully leverage European funding.

At the EU level, the EIB has been upgraded as a tool for strategic autonomy, with a €100 billion ceiling for new financing in 2025, explicitly including defense, security, energy networks, and technological innovation. Up to 3.5% of new funding can now be directed toward European security and defense, while approximately €4 billion was already allocated to defense projects in 2025.

Through guarantees and intermediary loans, the available ceiling for SMEs in the European defense supply chain reaches €3 billion, while the Defence Equity Facility channels equity into dual-use technologies. Greece, as one of the largest EIB beneficiaries relative to GDP, now has the opportunity to link its development strategy with enhanced defense capabilities, strengthening its geo-economic and geopolitical position in Europe.