Romania’s flagship A1 motorway project set for EIB backing of €500 million

• EIB clears way for €500 million loan to Romania for key section of planned motorway from Bucharest to the western border.
• Credit to co-finance 122-kilometre section through Carpathian Mountains.
• Project to boost Romanian regional development and EU integration.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is set to provide its first loan for Romania’s planned A1 motorway from Bucharest to the western border. The EIB agreed with the Romanian government to offer €500 million in financing for a key road section through the Carpathian Mountains.

The EIB credit will co-finance the construction of 122 kilometres of highway between the cities of Pitești and Sibiu – a stretch that is part of the priority Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). The section will reduce travel times as well as enhance road safety and expand economic connectivity.

“This is an investment in people, safety and opportunity,” said EIB Vice-President Ioannis Tsakiris. “By making travel faster, safer and more affordable for both people and goods, we are helping strengthen regional competitiveness and connect communities across Europe. This project is a powerful example of how European cohesion translates into lasting prosperity, inclusiveness and shared growth.”

The A1 motorway is a flagship development project for Romania and is due to cost a total of around €5.5 billion. The EIB plans to provide up to €1 billion alongside European Union and Romanian government funds.

The EIB signed its initial loan today in Bucharest along with the Romanian Ministry of Finance. This is the third Romanian motorway project with EIB financing during 2023-2025, after the A3 and A7 Motorways for which the Bank provided €1.4 billion loans.

“Romania is focused on building a stronger, more resilient economy,” said Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare. “Our work with the European Investment Bank shows our shared commitment to Romania’s long-term growth — not just through infrastructure, but by supporting innovation, attracting new investments, and creating opportunities in key areas of our economy. By managing public finances responsibly and making the most of EU funding, we’re helping businesses grow, boosting regional development, and laying the groundwork for a more prosperous future.”

The A1 motorway is an example of how European institutions enable tangible improvements in daily life. The project will ease congestion on the existing DN7 national road, which is a conventional single-lane route burdened by heavy traffic and a high number of heavy-goods vehicles. Once completed, the A1 will facilitate faster and more reliable transit across the country and contribute to Romania’s broader goal of becoming a key logistics hub in Eastern Europe.

The EIB signed the €500 million loan during a visit to Romania by Vice-Presidents Tsakiris and Robert de Groot. They met Romanian officials to discuss priorities for future financing and growth-enhancing investments, building on the strategic priorities of both the EIB and Romania.

The project benefits from EIB Advisory support through its JASPERS mandate prior to receiving EIB lending and through PASSA during implementation.

Background information  

EIB 

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.  

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB's financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

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