Written question asked by Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative) on Friday, 29 August 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 September 2025. It was answered by Al Carns (Labour) on Thursday, 11 September 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

European Defence Fund: Costs

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of joining the European Defence Security Fund.

Answer: This Government has delivered an ambitious security and defence partnership with the European Union. The Strategic Defence Review will strengthen NATO, the cornerstone of the UK’s defence, and it will help grow the economy. It allows us to step up on Euro-Atlantic security together and ensures we are able to explore UK access to Security Action for Europe (SAFE). We are working with our European partners to understand how an arrangement might work. The exact detail of UK participation will be subject to discussions on the specific terms of a UK-EU bilateral participation agreement; we do not wish to pre-empt the outcome of any such negotiations. This Government wants the right deal on the right terms.

Secondary information