EU pledges €50 million to secure the Black Sea
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bénin Web TV
The European Union pledges €50 million to accelerate the creation of a joint maritime security centre between Bulgaria and Romania. The facility is intended in particular to centralise navigation information and monitor threats after at least nine cargo ships were attacked in October, according to Reuters.
The European Commission pledged on Tuesday 10 November 2026 €50 million to accelerate the creation of a joint maritime security centre between Bulgaria and Romania, its president Ursula von der Leyen announced in Varna, Bulgaria. The facility is intended in particular to centralise navigation information, monitor threats and protect essential infrastructure for maritime transport, according to the European Commission.
The project is to strengthen cooperation between the ports of Varna and Constanța and could become operational as early as the first half of 2027, according to Euronews. The two countries still have to set a precise timetable, while Brussels plans in particular to use satellite images from the European Copernicus programme for monitoring.
At least nine cargo ships were hit by naval drones in October near the Romanian and Bulgarian coasts, leaving several sailors dead or missing, according to Reuters. Nato has meanwhile stepped up surveillance of its eastern flank with maritime patrol aircraft, radars and drones. Romania accuses Russia of systematic attacks on civilian shipping, while considering expertise necessary to establish responsibility precisely; Moscow rejects these accusations and Bulgaria has not named a responsible party.
The European funding comes after several attacks already reported in October, including two ships hit in the Black Sea near Bulgaria on 13 October and an attack on a cargo ship in the Black Sea on 23 October. Romanian President Nicușor Dan called on Tuesday for better protection of trade and energy infrastructure in the region.
