How Romania’s SAFE billions are being spent: controversial deal raises conflict-of-interest concerns

Romania is set to spend €816.5 million under the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) program to purchase approximately 400,000 pistols and assault rifles for the country’s security forces, including the Ministry of Interior (MAI), Ministry of National Defence (MApN), SRI, and SPP. The contract has been awarded without open competition to the American company SIG Sauer (controlled by German citizens), represented in Romania by SSI Legion SRL.

The procurement is managed by the Ministry of Interior under Liberal minister Cătălin Predoiu. SSI Legion SRL is fully owned by the U.S. parent company and administered by Niculae Tabarcia, a retired three-star lieutenant general and former senior official in Romania’s General Staff.

Business ties to Senator Nicoleta Pauliuc

Tabarcia has a documented past business relationship with Senator Nicoleta Pauliuc (PNL), chair of the Senate’s Defence, Public Order and National Security Committee, and her husband. Court records show they were co-shareholders in at least two companies: PV Plant Vlasiei SRL (dissolved in 2016) and Sphinx Tnn Consulting SRL, which remains active and shares the same address in Ilfov county as SSI Legion SRL.

Pauliuc belongs to the same PNL faction (“Thuma group”) as Minister Predoiu. On 13 May 2026, her committee and its Chamber of Deputies counterpart gave rapid approval to the deal after receiving documentation with less than 24 hours’ notice — far shorter than the 20-day period stipulated by emergency ordinance. Several MPs, including from opposition parties, said they were unaware of the Pauliuc-Tabarcia connection and voted against approval due to insufficient time for scrutiny.

Official responses and promised benefits

Both Pauliuc and the Ministry of Interior deny any conflict of interest. Pauliuc states that Parliament only verified legality and did not select the supplier – a role reserved for the government and CSAT. The deal reportedly includes full technology transfer and investments in ROMARM factories in Cugir and Sadu.

The case highlights broader concerns about transparency in how Romania allocates its large SAFE envelope – the second-largest in the EU after Poland, totalling over €16 billion in low-interest loans for defence modernisation. While the programme aims to strengthen national capabilities and European industrial cooperation, critics question whether political connections are influencing contract awards in this high-value segment.

The longer original version in Romanian of the investigation by EUalive’s partner PressOne can be found here.

Caption: AI-generated illustrative image.