PRESS RELEASE
The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has addressed a series of questions to the Ministry of Investment and European Funds (MIPE) on the state of implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) and the use of funds allocated to Romania. The official reply obtained reveals that Romania has missed the deadline for submitting payment request number 3, set for 30 June 2023, and has managed to spend an extremely small amount of the money already received.
According to data provided by MIPE, out of 79 milestones included in payment claim 3, 16 of them have not been completed, 4 of which should have been completed by September 2022. Among the most important non-implementations are the improvements that should have been made to the educational infrastructure by equipping classrooms, laboratories and school workshops.
A further 12 milestones, which were due to be implemented by 31 December 2022, have not yet been completed. These include issues of corporate governance, energy efficiency, special pensions and the quality of healthcare.
As regards payment claim 3, the MIPE estimates that it will be sent to the European Commission by the end of September 2023, with a delay of three months. On top of all these delays, the government has not even managed to send Romania's energy efficiency plan, RePowerEU, to the European Commission, where we can receive €1.4 billion to increase energy independence. The ministry does not know when this will happen and says that the final form of the REPowerEU chapter will be sent to the European Commission after the negotiations are finalised.
We have the money but we don't know how to spend it
In terms of the use of NRRP funds, Romania has so far spent only €828 million of the more than €6.3 billion received through the NRRP. This represents an extremely small percentage of the available funds, around 15%, which raises serious questions about the efficiency of the management of these vital resources. Having managed to attract the money with difficulty, with promised reforms constantly delayed, we are also unable to develop investment projects using European money.
FACIAS calls on the Government to act swiftly to implement the milestones and targets set out in the NRRP, and to effectively manage the European funds available for Romania's development.
The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) has been seeking since 2008 to ensure transparency in the functioning of state institutions as a principle of democracy and the rule of law and defends the rights of Romanian citizens.
We are monitoring the work of state institutions and informing the public about it, in order to raise citizens' awareness of their rights and the possibility for them to take part in the activities of public institutions, directly or through non-governmental organisations.
FACIAS PRESS OFFICE