NextFin news, On Tuesday, September 9, 2025, in Brussels, Romania secured €16.68 billion from the European Union's Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program, marking the second-largest allocation among EU member states after Poland. This funding is designated for defense investments, including military equipment modernization and infrastructure development, according to Romanian Defense Minister Ionuț Moșteanu.
The SAFE program, a European Commission initiative, aims to support member states in rapidly enhancing their defense capabilities through low-interest loans with up to 45 years maturity and a 10-year grace period. Romania's participation includes three main components: defense capability enhancement, budgetary support, and infrastructure development.
Specifically, infrastructure projects will focus on mixed civilian-military facilities, notably the A7 and A8 highways in northeastern Romania, connecting Pașcani-Suceava-Siret and Pașcani-Iași-Ungheni, to improve rapid troop and equipment mobility. Minister Moșteanu emphasized that these investments will benefit all Romanian citizens and are vital for a NATO and EU frontier state facing direct security threats from Russia.
Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare highlighted that the €16.68 billion allocation reflects the European Commission's recognition of Romania's security needs and active role in European defense. The funds will be accessed through advantageous loans, avoiding additional pressure on the national budget, and will support military modernization and domestic defense industry development.
The SAFE instrument, operational until December 31, 2030, is part of the EU's broader Readiness 2030 defense initiative, which mobilizes €150 billion to strengthen member states' defense capabilities. It also facilitates joint procurement of defense equipment and includes provisions for cooperation with third countries, including Ukraine.
On the same day, the European Commission announced the overall €150 billion SAFE program to enhance EU defense readiness, with Poland receiving €43.7 billion, Romania €16.7 billion, France and Hungary €16.2 billion each, and Italy €14.9 billion. The program supports seven priority investment areas such as air and missile defense, artillery, drones, critical infrastructure protection, military mobility, cyber defense, artificial intelligence, and electronic warfare.
EU Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius noted that most participating member states plan to use the loans to support Ukraine, integrating its defense industry into the program from the outset. National investment plans must be submitted by the end of November 2025, with initial disbursements expected in early 2026.
These developments were reported by RFI Romania and Telegraf Ukraine on September 9, 2025.
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