The Commission had scheduled an audit mission for POSDRU before payments for the program had been interrupted, Orban added.
The Ministry of European Affairs received the official notice from the Commission on February 20. At the time, Government spokesman Dan Suciu said Romania had enough funds to continue the programs in the interval.
The European Commission’s Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) stated problems found by the Romanian Audit Authority are associated with project selection and first-level verification procedures. As a result, the Commission will stop sending refunds to Romania for up to six months. The interruption will be lifted as soon as the Audit Authority confirms the problems have been corrected, in accordance with regulations on structural funds, DG EMPL said.