The EU’s Cohesion Policy invests almost €1.5 billion in better transport network and disaster management in Romania

The European Commission has approved an investment from the Cohesion Fund worth €875.5 million to build the first stage of the Sibiu-Piteşti motorway. This will be the first motorway crossing the Carpathian Mountains, enabling unhindered connectivity in Romania on the Rhine-Danube corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The corridor will provide an uninterrupted link across Romania, from the Black Sea port of Constanța to Nădlac on the Hungarian border, linking central and western Romania to the European motorways network. According to Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira: “This project will solve a major bottleneck in the Romanian transport network. It will increase road safety, shorten journey times, and reduce costs for passengers and merchandise. It will have a very positive impact on the economy and on local people’s quality of life.” The project is expected to be operational as of 2026. The European Commission has also approved financing from the Cohesion Fund for a project worth €578.4 million to improve Romania’s disaster-response capacity. The investment will improve Romania’s land-based, aerial and maritime response capacity through the purchase of new equipment as well as training of staff. It will better protect the population in emergencies and help Romania to comply with international obligations and the national strategy on climate change and low emission economic growth. Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira commented: “Thanks to this EU investment, Romania’s emergency services will be able to effectively respond to low-frequency, high-impact events like floods, earthquakes and nuclear accidents. This is particularly relevant for a country, like Romania, that faces a high risk of natural disasters due to its topography and dense network of rivers and streams. Romania’s better preparedness will also benefit other countries in case of disasters abroad, in line with the European spirit of solidarity and international agreements.” The project will help to save lives and minimise damage to property and the risk of disruption to economic activities.