European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Romania and Bulgaria on 9 and 10 November, putting Black Sea security at the centre of talks as Brussels seeks a bigger role in protecting shipping and infrastructure in the region. The visit comes against the background of Russia's continuing war against Ukraine and a series of attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

The visit begins in Bucharest on Monday, 9 November, where von der Leyen is scheduled to meet Romanian President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Luca Niculescu. According to the European Commission's announcement, the talks will cover European security and defence, competitiveness, energy supplies, EU enlargement and negotiations over the Union's next seven-year budget.

On Tuesday, 10 November, the Commission President travels to Varna, on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, for talks with Prime Minister Rumen Radev and a visit to the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy. Reports say at least seven commercial vessels have been hit by drones in the Black Sea over the past month, and a drone was found washed ashore near Shabla on Bulgaria's coast on 6 November.

One of the main items under discussion is the proposed Black Sea Maritime Security Hub, part of the European Commission's Black Sea strategy published in May 2025. The hub is intended to improve maritime surveillance, protect critical infrastructure and strengthen cooperation against threats to shipping. Romanian Defence Minister Ștefan-Radu Oprea discussed its gradual development with Commission Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu on 6 November, and Romania's defence ministry has said the mechanism would remain civilian and complement existing NATO arrangements rather than create a separate EU naval operation.

The Bucharest talks will also cover Moldova's progress towards European Union membership. The Commission's enlargement assessment published on 4 November states that Moldova has continued making progress in accession negotiations, and Brussels considers the country's objective of completing negotiations by early 2028 achievable, provided the government maintains its reform programme. That timetable is conditional and is not a guaranteed date for membership.

Energy security is also on the agenda. Romania's Neptun Deep gas project, expected to begin production in 2027, is set to increase the country's importance as an energy supplier within the European Union, making the protection of offshore installations and pipelines a wider European concern. After the Black Sea visit, von der Leyen is due to attend the United Nations climate conference in Türkiye.