Speaking after a meeting with Romanian President Traian Basescu, Barroso said he called on the head of state to intensify his efforts so the country will further increase its fund absorption capacity.
The EC official highlighted that Romania is one of the countries that might see its EU co-financing rate increased by 10%, as the Commission proposed.
According to Barroso, the Commission’s proposition has already been accepted by all EU member states and has yet to be approved by the European Parliament.
Basescu said Monday the country’s European fund absorption rate stands at 14.8% of the budget allotted by the European Union.
Minister for European Affairs Leonard Orban said recently his target is a EU fund absorption rate of at least 20% by 2012. He pointed out that Romania stands to lose several billion euros in 2013 if it fails to meet this target.