Romania’s Successful Management of EU Funds
Marcel Boloș, the Minister of Investments and European Projects, announced significant progress in Romania’s management of European Union funds, particularly regarding the avoidance of fund loss through disengagement. In a statement to StartupCafe.ro, he revealed that Romania has requested reimbursements of €1.5 billion from the European Commission (EC) for the year 2025.
Achievements in 2025 Fund Management
Boloș emphasized that in the first five months of the year, Romania successfully eliminated any risk of losing EU funds for 2025. He stated, "We are not losing any euro." Thanks to collaborative efforts with Management Authorities, Romania is set to receive €2.6 billion from the EC soon, while reimbursement requests this year are expected to exceed €4.4 billion.
These funds are earmarked for various beneficiaries, including municipalities, schools, hospitals, social enterprises, and Romanian companies. The financial support will fund essential projects such as road construction, water and sewage systems, educational resources, hospital modernizations, assistance for vulnerable populations, and economic investments.
Moreover, Boloș noted proactive measures to minimize future financial risks, accelerating project evaluations and launching new project calls valued at over €3.3 billion.
Overview of Fund Allocation and Requests
By the early months of 2025, Romania’s efforts to attract funding under the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy yielded:
- Total Financing Contracts: €9.4 billion signed with beneficiaries, including €4.9 billion from EU funds.
- Open Project Calls: Totaling €3.3 billion, with about €2.7 billion from the EU.
- Payments to Beneficiaries: Roughly €2.5 billion paid, with approximately €2.2 billion sourced from EU contributions.
Overall, project calls amounting to around €35.5 billion have been opened for the 2021-2027 programming period, with about €24 billion contributed by the EU, equating to roughly 77% of the EU allocation across all programs.
Funding Contracts and Payments
To date, 4,852 financing contracts have been signed, worth approximately €44.7 billion (with €23.4 billion from EU funds), which constitutes 76% of the total EU allocation. Throughout the programming period, payments made to beneficiaries summed up to €4.7 billion, including €4.3 billion in EU contributions, representing 13.8% of the overall EU allocation. Approximately half of these payments were directed to beneficiaries in 2025.
Current EU Fund Receipt Status
From a total allocation of around €31 billion for the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy programs, Romania has received €3 billion from the EC, which represents 9.7% of the overall EU allocation. Boloș affirmed that this absorption rate aligns with the EU average and indicates a positive trend in attracting European funds.
Performance in National Programs
In terms of national programs, the best results have been recorded in the Sustainable Development Program (PDD) and the Transport Program. The sum requested for reimbursement from the EC for the Sustainable Development Program is €915.6 million, equivalent to 22.6% of its allocation. For the Transport Program, the requested amount stands at approximately €1 billion, or 21.7% of its EU funding.
Regional Program Performances
On a regional level, the highest reimbursement requests have been recorded in the Northwest Regional Program, exceeding €146 million, and the West Regional Program, amounting to €88.3 million.
Conclusion
Romania’s proactive approach to managing EU funds is apparent in the avoidance of fund loss and the robust request for reimbursements. With substantial allocations being funneled into critical infrastructure and social programs, the nation is not only maintaining a favorable absorption rate but is also ensuring that the funds directly benefit various sectors, promoting overall socio-economic development.
