Romania is able to play a more significant role in Europe’s defence industry, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said during a visit to Bucharest on Wednesday, according to Euractiv.
“We have identified 15 companies from 11 countries in Europe that can respond to this request for increased capacity to produce what is needed and Romania is one of these countries,” Breton told reporters.
Speaking alongside Romania’s Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă, Breton reiterated the bloc’s determination to support the Ukrainian government and to provide ammunition and capacities at its request in a “war of immense significance”, while Ciucă confirmed Romania’s support for strengthening the bloc’s defence capabilities.
At the invitation of Romania’s economy minister Florin Spataru, Breton visited two of the country’s defence industry factories – Plopeni Mechanical Plant and Dragomiresti Special Products Plant – subsidiaries of Romarm, Romania’s national defence company.
It also comes after the German group Rheinmetall announced earlier this month that a hub to be built in Romania to service Ukraine’s military equipment.
The hub, located near the border with Ukraine, will provide service for self-propelled howitzers, Leopard 2 and Challenger tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Fuchs armoured transport, vehicles and military trucks.
His visit was part of a ‘defence tour’ across member states to assess the state of industry capacities, with the aim to visit the 15 companies in 11 member states that would be capable to increase their domestic armaments production according to current and future needs.