Finance | 22 May, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Romania secures €16.68 billion EU defence funding deal
The European Commission (EC) has finalised the signing of the SAFE loan agreement with Romania.
The European Commission (EC) has finalised the signing of the SAFE loan agreement with Romania.
The European Commission has significantly reduced its estimates for Romanian economic growth this year to 0.1%, down from 1.1% estimated in autumn, while the inflation rate is expected to reach 7%, compared to the previously announced level below 6%, according to spring economic forecasts published Thursday.
The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into Romania's planned state support for refurbishing the Cernavoda 1 nuclear reactor, questioning whether the €3.2 billion aid package complies with EU state aid rules.
Several EU member states have already implemented substantial tax cuts—specifically excise duties and VAT—to mitigate the impact of the fuel crisis on their economies.
The European Commission (EC) has approved a €150 million Romanian scheme to support electricity storage, contributing to the transition towards a net-zero economy.
Romania's foreign exchange reserves reached €65.81 billion on 31 January 2026, according to data released by the National Bank of Romania (BNR).
Romania received earlier this week €988.7 million from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), representing reimbursement for advance payments made to farmers between 16 October and 30 November 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced.
Romania leads the European Union in both VAT and corporate tax collection failures, losing approximately one-third of potential revenue from each tax, according to a European Commission analysis published this week.
Romania's real GDP growth is forecast to remain low over the next two years, primarily due to the necessary fiscal consolidation measures that will slow consumption.
Romania's consolidated budget deficit has widened to 4.54% of GDP after the first eight months of 2025, an increase from the 4.04% reported in July 2025.
Karoly Borbely, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, and Marian Fetiţa, Member of the Management Board and CFO, have mutually agreed to exit Hidroelectrica.
Druid AI has launched ChatEurope, a groundbreaking news platform featuring the first chatbot dedicated to European news.
The European Commission has issued a reasoned opinion to Romania, urging the country to remove restrictions on gas producers' ability to determine wholesale prices.
As US President Donald Trump has announced a 20% tariff on products imported from the EU, Romanian PM Marcel Ciolacu said the government will launch support schemes.
This amount represents the countervalue of the funds used from the state budget by APIA, in the period October 16–November 30, 2024.
The European Social Innovation Competition, funded by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe, aims at raising awareness about social innovation across a wide audience.
Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia still have a long way to go in the deployment of charging stations required for the desired uptake of electric vehicles.
The prize is awarded to European cities that are front-runners of innovations that benefit their citizens.
The Competition Council has authorised the transaction through which Pavăl Holding intends to acquire the Carrefour group in Romania.
Romanian construction company Concelex recorded revenues of RON 1.48 billion (€296 million) in 2025, representing a 17 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
Polytrade Global, a Romanian group specialising in energy infrastructure, the supply of electrical equipment, and renewable energy projects, closed 2025 with a turnover of around €21.5 million, a 173% increase on the previous year, and a net profit of €579,000.
Grup Şerban Holding said its subsidiary Ferma Avicolă Şerban completed the sale to SAGEM of a portfolio of real estate and operating assets located in Bacău and Vaslui counties, consisting of land plots, buildings, installations and equipment related to poultry farming activities.
Romania has recorded the lowest corporate artificial intelligence (AI) adoption rate in Central Europe, with just 5% of companies deploying the technology at an organisational scale.