Strange: Romania is a net contributor to EU budget for the third year
Romania has attracted only 435 million euros in structural funds allocated in 2007-2009. The amount represents less than 8% of the value of 5.6 billion euros earmarked by the European Commission over the last three years. Of the seven operational programs that may be attracted European funds, the largest percentage of absorption is recorded at the Economic Competitiveness.
It was only this sum because some big frauds made in 2003-2006 period, when a lot of mayor's take UE funds and use it for something else that they should be.
Over 16% of funds allocated for this program came to beneficiaries, who are mainly small and medium enterprises. The lowest level of absorption, near zero, it has been for local programs. These findings should be, according to data centralized by the Structural Instruments Coordination Authority of the Ministry of Finance.
"In 2007 did not do anything. Only in 2008 have been approved by Brussels authorities management programs were launched and began to be made first projects, "explains Radu Clear, consultant on European funds. According to him, it is too early at this point to achieve a real appreciation of the amounts absorbed, as Romania has greatly delayed the procedures for accessing EU funds.
"Only next year we can make a real statistic. I think overall will be slightly better, since the Competitiveness and Human Resources have been made many good projects. Disaster is to transport, which was not submitted anything. It's easy to do strike and asking for money from the state than to make a good project and get EU funds, "says Clear.
If the 435 million euros, which became effective in the real economy, are reported in the budget for 2007-2013, totaling 19.2 billion euros, the absorption rate decreased to 2.2%. The EU has so far allocated 5.6 billion euros Romania, which has already paid 1.92 billion euros. Of this money, but those who have reached the beneficiaries are only 22% of the total.
Regarding funds for agriculture, things are slightly better. Of the approximately eight billion allocated to Romania, the EU has already paid 976 million euros and the value of projects already signed the 4700 National Rural Development Program exceeds 1.6 billion euros.
The Department of European Affairs, Romania received from accession, some 5.6 billion euros, including pre-accession funds not spent by 2007. Contribution to EU budget for 2007-2009 amounts to 3.6 billion euros, Finance Ministry data show.
"Judging solely by the amounts allocated, Romania can be considered net beneficiary. But judging from the perspective of the amounts actually transferred into the real economy and then in terms of impact they had on transforming economic and social environment, it becomes obvious that Romania supports opportunity costs ", said recently the former head of the APR, Puscas.
One of the main reasons for this low uptake is delaying the start of programs, management of the accreditation authorities, the local managing these funds and to draw up Guidelines applicant, the documents on which the request for funding and actual launch programs. The Authority for Coordination of Structural Instruments (ACIS), shows that the operational program to increase competitiveness is an absorption rate of 16.5%, double the average of 7.78%. Next Environment Program (13.26%) and regional (8.46%). The remaining programs have some degree of absorption of less than 5%.
The less money was absorbed in the transportation programs (0%), for capacity building (0.67%) and technical (0.09%). "If the three programs, the major beneficiaries, who should make the projects are local and central authorities, which means they are not prepared and not able to access these funds," said Peter Bart, executive director of the Foundation Post Privatization. In his opinion, the absorption rate of 7.78% is very small. "I do not think that is real. Many have abandoned the projects approved because conditions have changed very much compared with the period when they were submitted. I think the percentage of money actually reached the beneficiaries is, rather, by 5%. Insignificant, because we have more money available that could now be in the real economy and to move things, "says Peter Bart.
What do other countries
Compared to August, increasing the absorption is only 0.75 percentage punch, according to ACSI. The data from the European Commission, that the amount paid to date Romania in August rose by 3.7 million euros, or 0.02% of total structural funds. For comparison, Poland has absorbed in the intervening 346 million euros (0.53% of total funds). In Lithuania, the absorption rate increased by 3.3 percentage points (233 million euros). Romania stands, however, better than Bulgaria, where EU has not paid any money in August.
Peter Barta is a comparison with Hungary in the program to increase competitiveness: in Romania 4175 projects were submitted, of which 1082 were approved and have signed contracts for 737 of them.
Their value amounts to 2.1 billion lei (500 million euros), including financing. In Hungary, in 2008-2009 were signed 4407 contracts worth 900 million euros, including financing. "It's clear that they moved much better than us," said Barta. In his opinion, in the following months, the situation is likely to remain the same.
"Clearly, the absorption rate will increase if guidelines are not changed, if not reduced evaluation time, if not employed professionals, a professional evaluators," says Barta.
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