European funds allocated to Romania through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) are blocked and their access is delayed due to the authorities' failure to fulfill their commitments. According to an official response sent to The Foundation For The Defense Of Citizens Against State Abuses (FACIAS) by the Ministry of European Investments and Projects (MIPE), the European Commission has suspended €1.1 billion related to payment claim no. 3, and payment claim no. 4, worth €2.4 billion, has not even been submitted for approval. In addition, a further €4.04 billion of payment claim 5 is at risk because it has to be sent to the European Commission by March 2025.
FACIAS has submitted a formal request to the Ministry of European Investments and Projects (MIPE) for the disclosure of the rationale behind the decision to withhold funds from the NRRP, along with the measures implemented to address this issue. The European Commission's decision to suspend payment request No. 3 on October 15, 2024, resulted in the freezing of €1.1 billion, as outlined in the MIPE's response.
The European Commission has identified significant deficiencies in the public procurement procedures for the Cluj metro line and two lots concerning the modernisation and renewal of the railway infrastructure. Furthermore, despite the commitments made, the Romanian state has not implemented the necessary changes to reduce excessive spending on special pensions. Additionally, the European Commission has indicated potential conflicts of interest and incompatibilities within the Agency for Monitoring and Evaluation of Public Enterprise Performance (AMEPIP), the overarching entity responsible for ensuring professionalism in the management of state-owned enterprises. Notably, in July 2024, former president Mihai Precup tendered his resignation following discussions concerning his incompatibility. Subsequently, in January 2025, a new competition was initiated to fill the vacancies for the roles of president and vice-presidents of the agency.
Romania was granted a period of six months in which to address the deficiencies related to payment claim 3. However, a significant portion of this time has already elapsed with no substantial progress being made. At this juncture, there is an absence of a definitive resolution to the outstanding milestones, thereby placing the Romanian state at risk of forfeiting these financial resources.
With regard to payment claim No. 4, the MIPE conceded that it had not been submitted to the European Commission, despite the stipulated deadline being September 2024. Romania was obligated to meet 46 milestones and targets, encompassing pivotal reforms in energy, pensions, taxation, urban planning and construction. Given the non-submission of the application, the European Commission has not yet issued comments, and the assessment process has not yet commenced.
FACIAS has highlighted that, as of March 2025, the Government is required to submit payment claim no. 5, contingent upon the prior approval of payment claim no. 4. To date, Romania has not received €3.5 billion, and in the absence of prompt action, the submission of payment claim no. 5, amounting to €4.04 billion, is threatened. The total sum at risk of being forfeited exceeds €7.5 billion.
FACIAS has submitted a request to the MIPE, seeking clarification on the potential implications of abandoning projects under the NRRP. The response received indicates a prioritisation of renegotiation over the implementation of outstanding reforms by the authorities. FACIAS has expressed concerns that the absence of a definitive timetable and of assurances that the alterations to the NRRP will be endorsed by the European Commission poses a risk of Romania forfeiting these financial resources, thereby jeopardising crucial investments in infrastructure, education, healthcare and the economy.