The European Commission will allocate nearly 650 million euros for 14 cross-border energy projects, including 103.69 million euros for the CARMEN project in Romania and Bulgaria.

On January 28, the European Commission announced the allocation of nearly 650 million euros from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for 14 cross-border energy infrastructure projects. One of these is the CARMEN project (Carpathian Modernized Energy Network), aimed at improving the integration of the electricity market and supporting renewable sources in Romania and Bulgaria, benefiting from a grant of 103.69 million euros.

This initiative aims to transform energy infrastructure by modernizing transport and distribution networks into smart and digitized systems capable of managing large flows of renewable energy. Dan Jorgensen, the energy commissioner, emphasized the importance of integrated infrastructure for a strong and independent energy union.

Of the total 650 million euros, 470 million euros will be allocated for six electricity projects, with the largest grant of 180 million euros for the AGUAYO II hydroelectric power plant in Spain. Nearly 113 million euros will be allocated for the protection of critical energy infrastructure in the Baltic countries. This is the first use of CEF funds for resilience measures on such a scale. The final award decision will take place in the coming weeks, and the next CEF call for proposals is planned for 2026.