Protection and Guard Service

Romanian: Serviciul de Protecţie şi Pază
Agency overview
Formed	7 May 1990
Headquarters	Bucharest
Employees	Classified
Annual budget	EUR 57,5 million (2020)
Agency executive	Lucian-Silvan Pahonţu, Director; Daniel Ion Bălașa, Deputy Director;
Website	www.spp.ro

Protection and Guard Service (Romanian: Serviciul de Protecţie şi Pază, abbreviated SPP) is the Romanian institution designated to protect and defend dignitaries, as well as their family or close relatives. The institution operates independently, although it collaborates closely with the Romanian Ministry of National Defense and other secret services. Its motto is Semper Fidelis.

Activity

SPP is a vital institution for the national security. It operates under Law 191/1998. The institution and its employees are mainly required to:

Defend dignitaries and their families, within legal limitations
Defend diplomats and heads of state during their stay in Romania (including airspace, water and the additional islands)
Defend the residences of the above-mentioned category
Defend any premises in which the above-stated category is visiting

The institution must respect all laws, as well as the Constitution. The institution takes orders and fulfills requests given by the Supreme Council of National Defense.

History

The institution has been officially operating since May 7, 1990. The concept of such a service came up right after the fall of the communist regime. Along the years, the institution has been keeping a low-profile, with little information available about it.