Romanian Defence Minister Radu Miruță clarifies SAFE highway contracts mainly awarded to domestic firms

Interim Defence and Transport Minister Radu Miruță announced that seven of the nine highway lots financed through the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme were awarded to Romanian companies, while the remaining two contracts went to firms from Italy and Spain. He refuted circulating claims that the SAFE funds for Romanian motorways were being diverted to Ukrainian firms.

The SAFE instrument provides Romania with about €16.6 billion in long‑term loans, of which roughly €4.2 billion is earmarked for strategic road‑transport infrastructure. The loans run for 45 years at a 3 % interest rate with a ten‑year grace period, supporting both defence‑related projects and civilian dual‑use infrastructure.

Miruță presented the clarification in a video message, emphasizing that the programme demonstrates support for the Romanian construction sector and underscores the transparency of EU funding usage.