Ponta asked ministers to make public “these real figures,” arguing that incorrect data indicating an absorption rate of only 10% are presented during various televised debates.
He added his cabinet has approved the financial corrections required by the European Commission and has managed this fall to fix any irregularities involving EU funds tracked between 2009 and 2011. Ponta went on saying that at the end of 2012, Romania may resume sending refund requests to the EC for the EU-funded programs targeting regional development, environment and HR development. Payments for these programs were halted after the EC identified a series of public procurement irregularities.
According to Ponta, the absorption rate of EU structural funds for direct payments in agriculture nears 100%, while the absorption rate of structural funds for rural development has so far reached 50%.
Early November, Romania’s European Affairs Minister Leonard Orban said Romania could absorb “at least 15%” of European Union funds by the end of 2012 if the EC resumes payments in upcoming months for some of the Romanian EU-funded programs pre-suspended in October.
The IMF estimates Romania will post only a modest economic growth in 2013, due to delays in EU fund absorption and implementation of structural reforms.