OTTAWA – The European Union says Canada will need to pay 10 million euros to join a defence procurement agreement with the continent — a price tag that is raising questions about how much investment the pact will generate.
Canada this week officially joined the 150-billion euro program called Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, which is part of the ReArm Europe initiative to make the continent less reliant on American defence technology and funding.
EU spokesman Thomas Regnier says Canada’s fee is based on the economic benefits and jobs it can expect to gain from the deal.
He says the same methodology is being applied to other countries, however the U.K. is being asked to pay a fee more than five times the size of Canada’s fee.
Université du Québec à Montréal professor Justin Massie says this raises questions about how much investment the deal will bring to Canada, while Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says she’s confident the deal will deliver meaningful benefits.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2025.
