Express keeps paper to secure European protection (6)
I believe the answer is:
safety
'protection' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'express keeps paper to secure european' is the wordplay.
'express' becomes 'say' (saying is a kind of expressing).
'keeps' is an insertion indicator (inserted letters are kept inside).
'paper' becomes 'FT' (the Financial Times newspaper).
'to secure' indicates putting letters inside (inserted letters are secured inside).
'european' becomes 'E' (abbreviation e.g. EU).
'ft' going around 'e' is 'fet'.
'say' going around 'fet' is 'SAFETY'.
(Other definitions for safety that I've seen before include "Refuge" , "Welfare" , "Freedom from risk or danger, or an acrobat's net" , "Freedom from danger or harm" , "The condition of being protected from danger" .)