89 Major Investment Projects For Environmental Infrastructure

2009 will be an important year for the implementation of the Sectoral Operational Programme (POS) - Environment as 89 major projects are in a preparatory phase. For Priority Axis 1 - Waters and Wastewaters, the European Commission (EC) has already approved 8 major projects worth 850 million EUR. Romanian authorities will send 33 other applications for approval under this axis, according to Environment Ministry Secretary of State Silviu Stoica. In his opinion, these applications will be finalized gradually, by mid-2009. The overall EU allocation for this axis is 3.27 billion EUR.

Marinela Manea, a Head of Service within the POS - Environment Management Authority, said: "The financing contracts for seven projects have been signed. One application for Olt County is in the approval loop, while an application for Brasov County will be submitted for approval before the end of the year." A total of 20 projects worth some 2 billion EUR are scheduled to be submitted for approval in the first half of 2009. The plan for the second half of 2009 is to submit 13 projects worth 1.5 billion EUR.

Priority Axis 2 currently includes 30 applications for financing several major projects under preparation and seven projects in the bid phase. All of them concern waste management. Only a few pilot projects (3-5) have been considered for the contaminated areas. The focus of these projects is to close / rehabilitate such areas by 2009. Marinela Manea stated that two projects of this kind worth 70 million EUR had been approved, for Vrancea County and for Bistrita Nasaud County. Twenty-eight additional projects worth 750 million EUR are scheduled to be submitted for approval in 2009 - 2010.

Manea further explained that Priority Axis 3 was focused on reducing the pollution generated by heating plants managed by local authorities. This portfolio consists of three projects, for Timisoara, Bacau and Iasi. The related master plans have already been completed.

The overall value of the investments is 180 million EUR. The first three applications for financing under POS - Environment will be created in the beginning of 2009. Another 5 applications are scheduled for creation in 2009 and for implementation in 2010. The deadline for finalizing the applications is Q4, 2009. The overall value of the investments is approximately 280 million EUR>

Priority Axis 4 is focused on nature and comprises 15 projects selected for financing. The overall value of the approved projects is 4 million EUR. The financing contracts for the 15 projects will be signed in the near future. A second session of project selection was started at the end of November.