The European Commission approves Romania’s SAFE loan agreement

The European Commission has signed the SAFE agreement with Romania, aimed at investments in defense and strategic infrastructure.

Corina Cristea, 22.05.2026, 14:00

The European Commission has completed the approval procedure for the SAFE agreement with Romania, which grants the country access to a European loan of nearly 16.7 billion Euro, the second largest allocation in the European Union under this instrument, after Poland. The funds, obtained under advantageous conditions, will be used for investments in defense, security, and strategic infrastructure. At the same time, according to interim Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare, the program represents a major economic opportunity: defense industry development, technology, jobs in strategic sectors, and infrastructure projects that can transform the connectivity of entire regions.

According to the plan submitted by Bucharest to the European Commission, the allocation includes approximately 4.2 billion Euro for national interest road transport infrastructure, with the remaining amount dedicated to defense and security procurement and infrastructure projects.

SAFE does not only mean financing for military equipment, but also production in Romania, industrial cooperation, know how transfer, and capabilities that must remain active in the long term, wrote Mihai Jurca, head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, on his Facebook page.

These funds will significantly contribute to the development of the national defense industry, to accelerating the modernization and equipping of the Romanian Armed Forces, and to increasing society’s resilience in the face of emerging threats and the challenges of the current security environment, the Ministry of National Defense stated. The ministry welcomed the approval and is awaiting the agreement’s ratification by Parliament in order to finalize contracts.

Under the SAFE Program, the Ministry of National Defense will implement 21 procurement projects, with an estimated value of around 9.6 billion Euro. Of these, 10 projects will be carried out through joint acquisitions with other participating states, while 11 projects will be individual acquisitions by the Romanian state.

An important component of the program is the development of air defense capabilities and countering emerging aerial threats, including through the acquisition and integration of modern air defense systems, anti drone technologies, and solutions designed to protect critical infrastructure and the population.

The agreement sets the conditions for granting the loan, the availability period, and the mechanism through which Romania can submit payment requests. The next steps include the agreement’s entry into force, a pre-financing of approximately 2.5 billion Euro, the first possible payment request in October, and the implementation of projects that will have distinct and predictable financing records until 2031, the Ministry of Finance says. (EE)