THE "EUROPEAN FUNDS" CONFERENCE - 6TH EDITION / CRISTIAN PÎRVAN, AOAR:  "There is a major gap between the number of contracts concluded and the rate of absorption"

Romania still has a major difference between the value of the European projects for which contracts are signed and the amounts that are effectively attracted from the European Union through the paid amounts, says Cristian Pîrvan, the secretary general of the Association of Romanian Business People (AOAR), who is of the opinion that the local authorities must urgently be made responsible in order to increase absorption.

He explained: "About 70% of the European funds allocated to Romania between 2007-2013 are directed to the public administration. We have been issuing warnings for a few years now that the implementation of the projects is going very badly and that the local and county administrations must be urgently made responsible so that we can have a better absorption rate".

Businesspeople are proposing that the prefects and presidents of the County Councils present to the Government monthly reports on the monitoring and the implementation of the projects that they are in charge of.

The AOAR representative also said that private companies that have the necessary expertise can and should be involved in the monitoring and evaluation activity, instead of the management authorities, to increase the efficiency of the implementation.

Cristan Pârvan also said that "a task force must be created, to verify the stage of the infrastructure projects in the territory", showing that there are major implementation delays, which could cause Romania to suffer harsh sanctions on the environmental side, if it does not comply, with the water quality requirements by 2015. "We still have 18 months to perform the works and issue the invoice. The 2007-2013 multi-annual financial framework will be closed in December 2015", said the secretary general of the AOAR.

Business people consider that the Partnership Agreement 2014-2020 and the related Operational Programs, including the accessing procedures, will be approved by the European Commission at the end of 2014, and they think that a measure of the Government which would allow as soon as possible the implementation of the eligible projects in the portfolio which have not been financed in the 2007-2014 period would be welcome.