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Race against time to spend EU Funds 2007-2013…
Last week’s highlights revolved around the Romanian authorities’ last-ditch attempts to maximize absorption of 2007-2013 EU Funds. At the end of 2014, Bucharest had been able to spend just under 52% of the seven-year allocation under structural and cohesion headings. Yet the Ministry of European Funds retained an optimistic outlook, with a final absorbtion rate forecast to reach 80% by December 31st.
Efforts to boost the absorption rate benefit from the full political support of the Juncker Cabinet. The European Commission announced it is sending operative teams to the EU Member States that have a below-average record of spending EU Money, while Regional Affairs Commissioner Corina Crețu became personally involved in mediating a solution to the stalemate of the Romania – Hungary Crossborder Cooperation Programme.
Guides for three new measures under the Human Resource Development Operational Programme 2007-2013 have been open for consultation. They target specifically Romanian communities abroad, seeking to address issues relating to opportunities for professional development, entrepreneurship and early school abandon.
…and efforts to kickstart the 2014-2020 Financing Programmes
Bucharest officials have continued to place significant emphasis on the need to accelerate the start of the new EU funded programs for 2014-2020. With a 5-10% absorbtion target by the end of the year, the first financing schemes are due to open at the end of February and concern investment in R&D and youth development programmes.
New funds for agriculture are also due to open during the next few months. Even though the Ministry’s forecast for late February may be overly optimistic, the first financing opportunities will likely be available this spring and will allow investment in new or existing farms, settlement of young farmers and the setup of Local Action Groups.
Transport Masterplan Gets Cues from Brussels
The European Commission has published a series of nine studies outlining key targets for the development of the pan-European transport infrastructure by 2030. In the absence of a working Transport Masterplan for Romania, the Commission documents provide useful benchmarks for Bucharest authorities in their effort to set the infrastructure spending priorities for the next several years.
