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.
Romanian consumers are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the country's economic and political outlook while continuing to prioritise spending and aggressively seek value, according to the latest Consumer Sentiment Survey by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
Romanians spent €63 million in cinemas in 2025, a record level for the local market, reflecting a 7% increase compared with 2024, while the number of admissions remained stable at 11.2 million, according to data from the Romanian Film Center analysed by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox.
The EU unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.0% in 2025, up from 5.9% in 2024, according to new data covering people aged 15-74 in the labour force, according to Eurostat.
Romania's National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis (CNSP) has cut its 2026 economic growth forecast by 0.9 percentage points to just 0.1%, down from the previous 1% projection, citing current macroeconomic conditions.
Enexus, a renewable energy development and construction company, entered 2026 with 210 MW under active construction across Romania, while securing an additional 195 MW pipeline with an estimated value of approximately €150 million.