Since 2007, when Romania joined the European Union, the country has attracted only EUR2.6 billion, or 13.5% of the total amount allotted for the abovementioned interval.
Romanian President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc have repeatedly pointed out that the country needs to increase its EU fund absorption rate to solve infrastructure, environment and regional development problems.
Romania was allotted EUR19.2 billion in structural funds in the 2007-2013 interval, and the money can be attracted through several operational programs. It receives structural funds, cohesion funds, as well as funds for agriculture, rural development and fisheries. The country also benefits from other financing instruments and programs.
The most recent data from the Authority for the Coordination of Structural Instruments (ACIS) reveal the authority received 30,162 project applications by August 31, worth over 235 billion lei (about EUR55 billion), of which about RON150 billion contributed by the EU. Over 12,000 projects have been rejected and 5,385 are being evaluated. By August 31, 8,652 projects had been approved and their total value stood at RON83.2 billion, of which RON50 billion contributed by the EU.
Financing decisions were signed for 6,765 projects. Total payments for the operational programs financed with structural funds stood at about RON11.7 billion, of which RON6.7 billion represented pre-financing, RON4.3 billion was reimbursements from the EU and RON687.7 million reimbursements from the state budget.
On Tuesday, the Parliament unanimously voted in favor of setting up a Ministry for European Affairs run by former EU Commissioner for Multilingualism and presidential adviser on European affairs Leonard Orban.
Orban was Deputy Chief Negotiator for Romania’s accession to the European Union between 2001 and 2004 and became the country’s Chief Negotiator with the EU in December 2004, a position which he held until April 2005.
Romania joined the European Union in 2007 and Orban was appointed EU Commissioner for Multilingualism.
From March 2010 until September 20, 2011 he was presidential adviser on European Affairs.