More than a hundred social centers promised by NRRP funds risk being blocked or completely abandoned, and Romania may lose one of the most important social investments in recent years guaranteed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. The Foundation For The Defense Of The Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) warns that the delay of this essential investment endangers not only the attraction of European funds, but especially the rights of children at risk of family separation.
FACIAS has analyzed the state of implementation of investments under Component 13 - Social Reforms of the NRRP and found that Romania has committed to build at least 150 day care centers for children at risk of being separated from their families by 2024.
Following FACIAS's requests, the Ministry of Labor reported that so far, only 10 children's centers have been completed - less than 7% of those assumed. The NRRP's deadline was the end of 2024, but the ministry now hopes to complete them all by the end of 2025. The problem is that this new estimate breaches the official deadline set in the NRRP, and the delay risks losing European funding. The costs for these centers will be entirely covered by the state budget, thus further increasing the budget deficit.
FACIAS requests the Ministry of Labor and its subordinate authorities responsible for implementing the NRRP to inform the public in a transparent manner, to explain the reasons for the delays and to identify concrete solutions to remedy this situation quickly.
Of the NRRP's more than €29 billion, Romania has received only 37% so far, amounting to €10.7 billion. Time is running out: we have just one year and three months left, until August 31, 2026, to complete all the projects. If in almost 4 years Romania has managed to attract only €10 billion out of the total of €29 billion, we have to wonder how the authorities will manage to implement all the remaining NRRP projects in less than 1 year and 3 months and get the remaining €18 billion. If we fail, we lose huge grant funds - money that is not coming back.
FACIAS will continue to monitor the implementation of the NRRP and will initiate legal action to hold those responsible for the loss of NRRP funds accountable.