Historic agreement: Romania receives 16.68 billion euros through the SAFE program for defense and strategic infrastructure
The European Commission completed today the procedure for signing the SAFE Loan Agreement with Romania, a document signed last week by the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare, and later sent to Brussels.
Romania will equip itself with military equipment PHOTO: Archive
Through this agreement, Romania will have access to European funding of 16.68 billion euros, the second largest allocation in the European Union under the SAFE instrument, after Poland. The program is intended for major investments in defence, strategic infrastructure and the strengthening of the European defense industry.
The SAFE instrument allows member states to access European loans on favorable terms for urgent security and defense investments. For Romania, the funding covers endowment projects, military technology, associated infrastructure and transport projects with strategic relevance.
According to the plan sent to the European Commission, the allocation includes approximately 4.2 billion euros for road transport infrastructure of national interest, the difference being intended for endowment and infrastructure projects in the area of defense and security.
“The signing of the agreement by the European Commission confirms that Romania has completed the necessary steps in time to access one of the most important European financing dedicated to security. We are talking about 16.68 billion euros that can support defense, strategic infrastructure, national profile industry and jobs in sectors with high added value. The Ministry of Finance treated this file as a priority, because SAFE is not just a financial instrument, but an investment in Romania's security and resilience. Through SAFE, Romania is not only investing in defense and security, but is creating perhaps the most important opportunity in recent decades for connecting Moldova to the large European infrastructure. During these months, concrete mechanisms were created through which the strategic projects in the region — Pașcani–Suceava–Siret and other essential investments for Moldova — will have a distinct and predictable record of funding until 2031”said the Minister of Finance, Alexandru Nazare.
Romania signed the agreement on May 12, 2026, based on the approval of the Memorandum by the Government and the President of Romania. The original signed documents were quickly sent to the European Commission and arrived in Brussels on May 13, 2026.
The agreement establishes the conditions for granting the loan, the period of availability and the mechanism by which Romania will be able to submit payment requests. The first withdrawal can be requested in October 2026, and the loan availability period is until December 31, 2030.
After the entry into force of the agreement, the European Commission will be able to grant Romania a pre-financing of 15% of the loan, i.e. approximately 2.5 billion euros. Each tranche, including the pre-financing, will have a maturity of 45 years with a grace period of 10 years.
SAFE is a temporary European instrument, created to support member states in making urgent and major defense investments, in the context of the deterioration of the European security environment. For Romania, financing represents both a security tool and an economic opportunity: investments in industry, infrastructure, technology and strategic capabilities.
