Moldovan Builders Barred from Strategic EU Projects

Builders from Moldova and Turkey will not be able to participate in tenders for infrastructure works of strategic importance, including motorway construction financed under the new European SAFE instrument – Security Actions for Europe. This is stipulated by a regulation adopted by the Council of the European Union, which took effect on May 29, 2025. The measure imposes strict conditions for companies to participate in projects financed by SAFE, a European fund designed to support urgent public investment in the defense industry and military infrastructure, Logos-Press reports. “Contractors and subcontractors participating in joint public procurement must be established and have their executive management structures in the European Union, in an EEA-EFTA state, or in Ukraine. They must not be controlled by a third country that is not an EEA-EFTA state or Ukraine, or by an entity from another third country that is not established in the Union, an EEA-EFTA state or Ukraine,” the regulations state. The document further stipulates that participating companies cannot be controlled by entities from third countries. Exceptions are possible only “under special circumstances” and with guarantees approved at the European level, but they are strictly aimed at ensuring the security and defense of the Union. Accordingly, companies from Moldova, Turkey, or other third countries are not eligible to participate in tenders for strategic works financed under SAFE, including military mobility projects that involve the construction and modernization of roads, railways, ports, and logistics infrastructure that could also be used for military purposes.