Von der Leyen announces €50 million for Bulgarian-Romanian maritime security centre

€50 million has been earmarked for the Black Sea Maritime Security Centre. During her visit to Bucharest on 9 November 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced forthcoming EU funding, BTA reported. She said the agreement between Bulgaria and Romania, with EU support, would include specific deadlines and that work on the project would be accelerated.

This is a developing story and further information may be added.

Complementary roles for Varna and Constanța

The project is conceived as a network of complementary centres in Varna and Constanța. According to BTA, Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova presented this concept to EU ambassadors in Sofia on 30 October.

The agency identifies five areas of work for the Bulgarian centre: maritime situational awareness, critical infrastructure protection, cyber security, countering hybrid threats and environmental security. Maritime situational awareness means building a shared picture of objects, movements and risks at sea.

In Flank’s assessment, the practical benefit for Bulgaria would be faster sharing of warnings and better coordination during incidents. For this to happen, surveillance information must reach the institutions and forces able to respond in a timely manner. Establishing a centre does not in itself provide immediate protection for shipping.

Drones and port protection among possible areas of work

Von der Leyen said the funds could be used for drone and counter-drone capabilities, as well as for protecting ports and critical infrastructure, Euronews Bulgaria reported. These are possible areas for funding, not announced deliveries of specific equipment.

The European Commission President also announced separate funding of €10 million for the Romanian authorities, intended for search and rescue operations, Euronews Bulgaria reported. The two sums serve different purposes and should not be treated as a single project budget.

Von der Leyen also welcomed cooperation between Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye on Black Sea security. This does not in itself mean that Türkiye will have a formal role in managing the centre.

Budget source and final timetable yet to be clarified

The official document allocating the funds, the specific budget source and the final conditions and deadlines in the agreement have yet to be clarified. The announced commitment does not mean that the funding has already been disbursed or that the centre has reached operational readiness.

The next verifiable steps are publication of the funding document and the agreement setting out the implementation stages. Further information may be added.