Data released on January 31, 2012 showed the country’s EU fund absorption rate stood at 5.55%, equal to that reported at the end of December 2011 and up from the 3.72% absorption rate registered at the end of November.
According to the ministry, the regional operational program (POR) registered the highest EU fund absorption level, of 11.73% at the end of February. The payments made to fund beneficiaries by the European Commission amounted to EUR437.24 million and national co-financing stood at about 4.7 billion lei (EUR1.07 billion). Some 8,076 financing projects were submitted with POR by February 29, of which 3,029 were approved and 2,677, worth RON13.3 billion, were signed.
A significant increase in the fund absorption rate was registered at the EU-funded program for transport (POS-T). Intermediary payments from the EC exceeded EUR279 million, or 6.13% of the entire sum allotted. By the end of last month, 123 projects were submitted with POS-T, of which 68 were approved and 61, amounting to RON7.789 billion, have already been signed. Intermediary EC payments at the end of November stood at EUR113.69 million, which translates into a 2.49% fund absorption rate.
The operational program for environment continues to register the lowest fund absorption rate, said the ministry.
By February 29, intermediary payments made by the EC for this program amounted to EUR114.79 million, which represents 2.54% of the over RON19.5 billion allotted by the European Union. The program received 461 projects, of which 315 were approved and 247 have been signed. At the end of November, intermediary payments from the EC stood at EUR85.36 million, which translates into a 1.89% absorption rate.
Intermediary EC payments within the program for human resources development (POSDRU) amounted to EUR190.33 million at the end of February, meaning a 5.48% fund absorption rate.
The program to increase economic competitiveness (POS CCE) registered intermediary payments to beneficiaries of EUR152.81 million at the end of last month and an absorption rate of 5.98%. Some 11,604 projects were submitted within the program and only 2,242 (worth RON4.9 billion) have been signed.
The European Union allotted RON902 million for the program developing administrative capacity, and intermediary payments from the Commission amounted to EUR18.89 million, which translates into an absorption rate of 9.08% by February 29.
Government spokesman Dan Suciu said Tuesday ministers and heads of authorities in charge of EU-funded programs who fail to speed up fund absorption and eliminate problems that hinder the process will be dismissed.
According to Suciu, the inter-ministry committee for EU funds noted a series of problems that hinder fund absorption, some concerning processing refund requests.
Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu warned ministers earlier Tuesday they must attract EUR6 billion in EU funds this year.
On Monday, Ungureanu asked the ministers and heads of EU-funded programs’ management authorities to process every unsettled refund request by the end of March. (EUR1=RON4.3608)