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Financial experts’ warning: only 4 million euros came from EU in first quarter
Only 4 million euros from structural European funds entered Romania from EU in the first three months, compared to 1.5 billion euros in quarter 1, 2016 and 1.5 billion euros in the first three months of 2015.
All EU funds that entered Romania in the first quarter are 1.2 billion euros and 3.9 billion euros in the first four months of the year, according to general consolidated budget. The present government changed the ways of reporting and include direct payments to farmers, which were not visible until now in the execution of the general consolidated budget published by MPF. Another report details fields where the money goes and shows that only 4 million euros have come from structural funds. 265 million euros went to rural development fund, 900 million euros went to direct payments and 31 millions to other domains.
The low absorption rate for structural funds has a single explanation: Romania has no management agency accredited. The government crisis might delay accreditation and absorption.
Rovana Plumb, the delegate minister for European funds said that in July management authorities may be accredited, so that Romania could send calculations to Brussels for financing from European funds. “On April 28 we sent all operational programs, with procedure descriptions, including IT system to the Audit Authority. We are in final stage with three operational programs for accreditation - Administrative Capacity, Technical Assistance and Initiative for IMM, for which we expect a final opinion until the end of the month.