IF the laws aren"t revised  Many industrial parks could shut down

• Their officials say that they can"t access structural funds

Otilian Neagoe, the vice-chairman of the Council of Competition, yesterday said in Braşov, that he is hoping an inter-ministry body would be created, which would work together with the Association of Industrial, Technological and Scientific Parks and Business Incubators (APITSIAR), as well as local and city councils to change the legislation concerning industrial parks. Emil Muntean, the president of APITSIAR, said that the current legislation on industrial parks could cause many of them to be closed down. This statement was made during a symposium made by the Association and the Competition Watchdog - "Industrial parks - present and perspectives".

The debate was centered around the fact that companies which manage industrial parks can"t access European funds, because they are considered major companies, and as such they only qualify for co-financing of up to 50%. "Local administrations, which are our sponsors, can"t afford to co-finance 50% of a project. Because of this, it is impossible for us to ensure a good development for the industrial parks that we manage. No one seems to realize that we are a viable economic alternative and we need to be helped to create a powerful business infrastructure, but this isn"t possible without funding, which we can"t get because of our difficulty in accessing to European funding", Muntean said.

Bogdan Chiriţoiu, the president of the Council of Competition, who attended the symposium, said that the authorities are working on finding the best solution to revise the legislation while remaining in compliance with the European regulations.