European fund absorption a hard nut to crack for Romania
In the financial years 2007 2013, Romania benefited of over EUR 32 billion (including national allocations) from behalf of the European Union. By the end of the year 2012, our country had consumed no more than a little over 10 per cent of the funds attributed.
There were many reasons this engine of development failed to work. Some people blamed it on the fact that we were beginners, that we had no specialists to elaborate and finish eligible projects for payment out of European funds.
Yet, the truth is actually different. It is the hunger after effortlessly gained money. It is a mentality to be encountered frequently with other nations as well. Many civil servants and employees of administrative structures thought they could get advantage by various tricks of the money we deserved from the European funds allocated to Romania. It was not so, because bureaucrats in Brussels discovered that many projects were merely on paper and were not applied in reality. As a result, many Sectoral Operational Programs POS (out of the eight) were closed.
POS for Human Resources was not functional for over one year. Many issues were also encountered in programs dedicated to competitiveness, transportation and environment.
It was just after solving trials between the Romanian authorities and the European Commission that the attraction of European funds returned to the attention of local and central officials, as a factor of growth and modernization.
For a good coordination of activity after the parliamentary elections in 2012, the structure of the present Government featured a special Ministry, that of European Funds. This Ministry proved its capability to a great extent. Especially that Romania, as well as other states, demanded the European Commission a two year postponement of the deadline in the absorption of European funds to the period of financial years 2007 2013. It was the famous N + 2. A formula other EU member states have benefited of previously as well. Therefore, until December 2015, we still have the right to use European funds out of the EUR 32 billion we mentioned above.
At the beginning of the year 2013, the rate of absorption had reached over 25 per cent. Recently, a high official in the Ministry of European Funds outlined the fact that the absorption of European funds could reach 51 to 53 per cent by end of this year, for the period 2007 2013. By the end of November, the rate of absorption reached 44.64 per cent and the value of expenses declarations sent to the European Commission reached EUR 8.576 billion.
Ar the end of this year, we will probably reach absorption of over 50 per cent. Up to this moment, I think we have transmitted to the European Commission EUR 400 million, I cannot tell you precise figures. The objective we have established is to assure 80 per cent of absorption until the end of the year 2015, a percentage that might be similar to that of many member states, the representative of the Ministry of European Funds showed.
There are also fields that performed outstandingly as absorbers of European funds. An example is represented by the programs coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR). The absorption of European funds in rural development will reach a percentage of 82 per cent by the end of this year, Vice-Prime Minister Daniel Constantin, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development declared at a conference that took place last week. The absorption of European founds for the program of rural development 2007 2013 went outstandingly and, by the end of this year, I hope we will reach a per cent of absorption of 82 per cent of PNDR. It is the program with the highest rate of absorption and I hope that, by the end of 2015 or, if the European Commission accepts Polands request, joined by Romania as well, to prolong by six months the N + 2 regulations, up to June 2016, Romania will reach a rate of absorption as close as possible to 100 per cent, Constantin mentioned.
On its turn, the Ministry for Informational Society (MSI) will reach a rate of fund absorption of 95 per cent by the end of 2015, and the IT & C department will represent direct investments in economy of EUR 1 billion during 2014 2020, Razvan Cotovelea, Informational Minister declared on Wednesday in a specialized conference.
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European fund absorption a hard nut to crack for Romania