European Commission approves financing under SAFE program
Romania will receive almost 17 billion euros in loans from the EU to strengthen its military.
Ştefan Stoica, 16.01.2026, 13:50
The government in Bucharest welcomed the approval, by the European Commission, of the Application submitted by Romania for financing, under the SAFE Program (Security Action for Europe). According to a statement sent to AGERPRES, during the next week the projects included in the application submitted by Romania will be made public. The country benefits from 16.68 billion euros, the second largest allocation through the SAFE Program. After the European Commission’s approval, the Council is to adopt the implementation decisions, and subsequently, the Commission will finalize the loan agreements, with the first payments to be made in March 2026, the executive said.
Romania’s application was approved on Thursday, along with the plans submitted by Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, and Portugal. By 2030, Romania must capitalize on this opportunity by finalizing the acquisitions, the Government statement also reads. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan mentioned, in a post on his Facebook page, that among the projects that will have financing under the program SAFE are the highways in the eastern part of the country. Also, based on this financing, Romania will strengthen its defense industry through investments, military technology transfer and the creation of new jobs. “The projects will contribute to the development of military and civilian infrastructure, to equipping the Romanian army with modern defense equipment and to increasing the security of our country. This is an important stage in Europe’s efforts to strengthen its security”, Prime Minister Bolojan also said.
The SAFE regulation was adopted in May last year, as part of the ‘Preparedness 2030’ Strategy, an ambitious defense package that provides EU member states with financial leverage to stimulate increased investment in defense capabilities. The SAFE instrument is a temporary financial mechanism of the European Union, with a budget of 150 billion euros, in the form of loans granted on favorable terms. It is now urgent that the plans proposed by the Member States are approved by the Council to allow for rapid disbursements, said the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen. SAFE also integrates Ukraine into the EU security ecosystem and ensures that our support is both rapid and sustainable, the head of the EU executive stressed.
The funding levels for each country were provisionally set in September, based on the principles of solidarity and transparency. SAFE will allow Member States to immediately and massively expand their defence investments through joint procurement from the European defence industry, focusing on priority capabilities. This will help ensure interoperability, predictability and cost reduction for a strong European defence industrial base. Romania is second in terms of financing volume because it is located on the eastern border of the European Union, the most exposed to major geopolitical risks. (EE)
