Let's go back to the other questions that we had started. I think we had, Pietro initially.

Let's go back to Pietro because it has been a long time he's been waiting.

I think I will prefer colleague in the room because I don't have good connection.

OK, colleagues in the room, then yes, go ahead.

I see a very eager colleague in the room.

Question for Thomas Today the Italian Foreign Minister said that Italy has,

I booked 14.9 billion under the SAFE instrument and that they will decide later up until December whether they would make full use of that money.

So I just want to clarify whether that's the timeline that Italy has been given.

And whether that's how the instrument works and then following up on that,

President von der Leyen said when she was in Kiev that 10 billion that were unspent under the safe instrument could be used directly for Ukraine under the EU Ukraine industrial.

Pact and for drone warfare, but based on the national requests, if Italy were ultimately not to use the full or were to use the full,

sorry, 14.9 billion, there would be less than 10 billion left for safe if you do the,

if you do the the tally.

So I'm just wondering whether that would also affect the announcement that was made by the Commission in Ukraine. Thank you. Thanks.

So let me start with the first question. We have no time to lose.

That's the clear position of the European Commission when it comes to safe and the safe implementation. Why?

Because SAFE is playing a crucial role for Europe's security.

I don't think I need to highlight this a lot.

We see it on a daily basis in Ukraine.

We have seen, and Anouar just said it, drone incursions in Romania to name just one of the several member states that have been targeted.

So no, we have no time to lose. Let me first set the record straight.

Italian was the member state that asked for €14.9 billion and Italian has received from us an approved budget of €14.9 billion.

Now what is important for us is that we quickly move to the next stage.

So obviously Italian the Italian industry is playing a key role for Europe's security.

So in the ideal situation definitely we want Italy to stick to the 14.9 as announced today,

and this is a very, very positive development.

Now the importance is that we need to move forward to the signature of the loan agreement because we need to disperse the money to kickstart the project.

So this is the timeline we're looking at.

Should something change budget wise,

then we're even more in an urgent situation because that money has to be reallocated through a new call to other member states who may wish to take additional loans under. So that's the situation.

Key message we have no time to lose.

We need to speed up the process and move to the next step.

The And on Ukraine, yes, so that response actually responds to the second question, depending on where we land with all the signature of the loan agreements,

and Italy is not the only one in that situation, we still need to sign loan agreements with many other member states.

We could have indeed leftovers, and these leftovers would have to be reallocated to other member states who wish to take additional money.

And here again the range is indeed the one that was mentioned by the president in Ukraine.

We're roughly counting around 10 billion that could be left over.

You have a follow up, then I go to others.

Yes, just so on the timeline, can Italy actually wait until December then to give you a final answer on whether they want to take out the entire loan and on the 10 billion assessment,

so is this assessment based on.

Part of the Italian plan changing so that they don't take out the entire allocation that they asked for because if you do the math,

if Italy were to take out the entire, almost 15 million, there's no 10 billion left.

So this assumption of potentially $10 billion leftovers is based on many factors.

So the fact that some of the loan agreements have not yet been signed, of course there is the Italian situation that we need to clarify as quickly as possible,

but today is a reassuring message coming from Italy that they want to stick to the budget.

This is what we want to keep in mind now and retain from this message.

And then you still have the Hungarian plan that needs to be approved and.

Is also an uncertainty factor, so I think we can safely, as the president said, assume that the landing zone will be somewhere around 10 billion.

Now when it comes to the Italian plan and waiting until December for the signature of the loan agreement, that timeline is not good for us.

We need to move on way faster than this because if there is a slight chance that Italy would take less than the €14.9 billion.

Then we have a legal deadline in the regulation that forces the Commission to relaunch a new call and reallocate that money still this year.

So for this we need more than a couple of days in December.

This has to be safe towards all member states, including the ones who are the most. Other questions for Thomas. Let's go here. Hi Tim from Austrian radio and TV.

It's on social media, I believe it's for Thomas.

Let me see perhaps if there's other defense-related questions are on the topic. Yes, go ahead.

Yes, still on this a follow up actually, Gabre de Rosano Verra, you said that you have a legal deadline in the regulation.

Can you remind us what that legal deadline for the reallocation is?

I understand you said a couple of days in December, so I assume it's December, the legal deadline, but you can clarify that, Thomas, please.

And the second thing, if I read the reports from Rome correctly, I'm not sure that.

The Italian Government really reassured you on the fact that they will use up to 14,

the entire figure of 4.9 and that is linked to the fact that has been said openly.

That they are waiting for the October possible, if unlikely, even if unlikely, reconsideration of the Italian deficit,

which could bring Italy out of the, of, of the procedure, on the deficit procedure.

So I'd like to know if my colleague asked you about December and that's too late,

is October, which is earlier than December, any, any good for you? Thank you.

I don't think we will be giving exactly an assessment of what is good and what is not.

Questions are getting a bit repetitive, Thomas, so you want to answer maybe this one and then we see if we have new angles,

otherwise we change topic as we have several other questions that want to be asked. Yes, the best is today or tomorrow. We need clarity as quickly as possible. We need to move to the.

Implementation phase we need to make disbursements including to Italian authorities and the Italian defense industry so essential message we have no time to lose.

We quickly have to move to the next step and now on the deadline I said we have a legal deadline on our side to reallocate potential leftovers.

This is precisely why we need the clarity very soon and that legal deadline is that we have to relaunch the entire procedure still this year. Other questions for Thomas on this.

Is it on this, go ahead, new angle. Good morning. Thank you, Simón Mata from Italy Post.

Thomas, according to the role of Italian industry you have mentioned before, how do you,

as a European Commission consider the scenario in which Italy will not use the total amount of 14.9 billion? Thank you.

I think Thomas already answered, but I will give him the floor last time and then I changed topic.

Well that situation may affect indeed the amounts that the Italian industry will get because if you are a member state and you take a significant amount like €14.9 billion you're in the driving seat,

you have the possibility to determine which projects with which companies and you can.

A bit of reassurance to the Italian industry that they will take a significant part of that budget together as joint procurement with other member states.

Now that's a question fully for the Italian industries for the Italian authorities how they wish to use the €14.9 billion.

Essential message we have received a very solid plan from the Italian authorities.

It has been approved very quickly by both the Commission and the Council.

So let's move to the signature of the loan agreement and to the next steps.

Other questions for Thomas on different topics. Yes, let's come to you.