European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced in Bucharest that Romania would receive an additional EUR 10 million to improve its search and rescue operations in the Black Sea. The EU will also allocate EUR 50 million to accelerate the development of a regional maritime security hub involving Romania and Bulgaria, alongside closer cooperation with Türkiye.
The EC president made the announcements on Monday, November 9, during joint press statements with Romanian president Nicușor Dan at Cotroceni Palace. Her visit came amid heightened security concerns following drone attacks on commercial ships off the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts.
“The skies over the Black Sea have darkened, particularly in recent weeks with drone attacks targeting commercial ships off your coasts. Innocent sailors having lost their lives, others are still missing at sea. My thoughts today are with their families and loved ones. And I want to express Europe’s full solidarity with Romania; we stand with you,” von der Leyen said.
According to her, the bloc’s response would focus on restoring freedom of navigation, strengthening maritime surveillance, and improving its capacity to respond to crises.
“Freedom of navigation in the Black Sea must be restored and preserved,” she said. “It is a vital trade route for Europe, for Ukraine’s economy and for global food security.”
The EUR 10 million allocation will support Romanian authorities’ capacity to respond rapidly to maritime incidents through search and rescue operations.
“The horrific recent incidents in the Black Sea are a key example,” von der Leyen further stated. “Today, I am pleased to announce an additional EUR 10 million in funding to Romanian authorities for search and rescue operations.”
The Commission president also announced that work on the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub would be accelerated. The initiative was first included in the EU’s Black Sea Strategy in mid-2025.
“Since then, the security environment has deteriorated much faster than any of us anticipated,” she said.
“In this context, I welcome the closer maritime cooperation between Romania, Bulgaria and Türkiye. We must all work with an urgency mindset when it comes to our defence and security. That is why I am very pleased to announce that in agreement with Romania and Bulgaria, we will now fast-track the work on the Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, with a clear timeline for completion, and dedicated funding of EUR 50 million.”
The EU will also strengthen maritime surveillance in the region by providing satellite imagery through its Copernicus program, which von der Leyen said could deliver immediate benefits.
During the same joint press statements, president Nicușor Dan stated that the Black Sea was important to Europe because of its role in global trade, energy security, and the future reconstruction of Ukraine.
“We cannot speak of lasting peace in Ukraine or an efficient way of rebuilding Ukraine without a secure Black Sea,” he said.
Dan also described recent drone incursions, sabotage operations, cyberattacks, and disinformation campaigns as parts of a broader hybrid war.
“Russia is clearly trying to escalate the conflict it started five years ago in Ukraine and involve European countries in this conflict,” he said during the press statements.
Later the same day, in a Facebook post following the meeting, president Dan welcomed both funding allocations and said the maritime security hub would be managed by Romania and Bulgaria.
“The additional EUR 10 million for Romania’s search and rescue operations in the Black Sea will help save lives,” he wrote. “All this support means greater security in the region and more protection for our citizens.”
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In her speech, von der Leyen also warned that drone incidents were often accompanied by foreign information manipulation intended to spread fear and uncertainty. She said the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, launched earlier in 2026, would help member states such as Romania detect and respond more effectively to such campaigns.
Defense investment was another subject of the talks. The EC president noted that Romania was set to receive more than EUR 16 billion through SAFE, the EU program supporting joint defense procurement, and highlighted its planned joint drone initiative with Ukraine.
“This is exactly the kind of cooperation Europe needs,” she said during the Cotroceni statements. “It strengthens Ukraine’s defense, it strengthens Romania’s security and economy, and it strengthens our entire eastern flank.”
The EU Commission recently launched a second SAFE call, making more than EUR 21 billion available to member states. Ursula von der Leyen encouraged Romania to use the opportunity to invest further in capabilities protecting the country and the Black Sea.
Later on Monday, von der Leyen met prime minister Luca Niculescu at Victoria Palace. According to a Romanian government press release, their discussions covered Black Sea security, energy prices, Romania’s recovery plan, the budget deficit, and the EU’s 2028–2034 long-term budget.
“The European Commission’s support for creating the Black Sea Security Hub is particularly important for protecting our citizens and national territory,” Niculescu stated.
“We will be able to increase the EU’s capacity to anticipate and address maritime security challenges, including the protection of critical infrastructure.”
Ursula von der Leyen and Luca Niculescu at the government headquarters in Bucharest; photo Gov.ro
Prime minister Niculescu also reaffirmed Romania’s support for the EU accession processes of Moldova and Ukraine. Plus, he said the future European budget should preserve adequate allocations for agriculture and cohesion.
Ursula von der Leyen ended her Cotroceni remarks by noting that Romania would mark 20 years of EU membership on January 1, 2027.
“Romania has grown stronger within Europe, and Europe has grown stronger with Romania,” she said. “Today, your country is not only a success story of enlargement; it is a pillar of European security.”
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