European money for recovery and resilience

Romania to receive 10 billion euros of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan by the end of the year.

Daniela Budu, 07.06.2022, 13:50

Romanias prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said the government was on schedule for Romania to be able to benefit from 10 billion euros of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan this year. Ciucă chaired on Monday a meeting of the committee set up to monitor the plan, the first such meeting since Romania submitted its first payment request to the European Commission on 31st May. He said making use of the 30 billion euros worth of recovery and resilience funds is a coordinated and coherent effort, with well-established milestones, deadlines and tasks for each domain, adding that Romania has managed to put into operation this funding mechanism in a short and difficult period.

The meeting also focused on the social measures and procedures associated with the submission to the European Commission of a payment request for some 3 billion euros, of which 2 billion of non-reimbursable funds and the rest in the form of a loan. According to the prime minister, the 3.7 billion euros already received as pre-financing clearly shows that Romania is on schedule to meet its goals. He said the next payment request from Romania will be submitted in the third quarter of the year, amounting to some 3.2 billion euros, of which 2 billion in non-reimbursable funds.

The minister for European projects and investments Marcel Boloş also said Romania is preparing to submit its second payment request in October. He said the European Commission may ask for clarifications on the goals already fulfilled by Bucharest. If additional information is requested, it will be provided by each ministry involved via the ministry for European projects, said Boloş:

“By the time the payment is made for the reimbursement request, the European Commission is entitled to request clarifications to obtain additional information. The relevant ministries will stay in touch with us as national representative to provide, if need be, the possible additional information the European Commission may request.”

The total of 30 billion euros Romania is to receive from the European Union by 2026 in the form of grants and loans, will be channelled, according to the Romanian authorities, to investments and reforms, the green transition and the digital transition and to consolidate the countrys economic and social resilience, as well as the cohesion of the single market. (CM)