European Commissioner Corina Cretu said that one of the serious social problems of Romania is poverty, and this can be solved with the help of regional development funds. Cretu made the statements upon the arrival in Brussels of Labour Minister, Rovana Plumb.
"With over 40% of the population at the lowest levels of poverty and social exclusion, Romania has got a very serious social problem to manage and regional development funds should be used mainly for solving this problem.
Roads and highways are important for Romania, but equally important should be fighting poverty. I salute the Minister's concern for the social groups in Romania and the efforts made to improve their situation, " European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu said, according to a press release sent.
At the meeting with the PSD minister, Creţu also pointed out that there are still important steps to be taken in this direction:
"The fact that we currently have no map of social infrastructure priorities is a problem. I recommended the Bucharest Executive to encourage greater collaboration between the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Development and the Ministry of European Funds for this pre-condition for accessing funds in the period 2014-2020 to be fulfilled. "
Since Romania is the country with the highest number of abandoned children in Europe (every day in Romania a child is abandoned), the Commission follows the issue very closely.
"In connection with these children, the European Commission has a very firm policy of encouraging the transition from old-type centers to having them grow in family type homes and I have repeatedly expressed myself on this imperative. However, in Romania, in 2007-2013 they continued to finance the construction of old type centers, which is unfortunate.
I am glad that in the period 2014-2020 Romania has committed, by signing the Partnership Agreement, not to finance the construction of these old type centers and I want you to know that I will personally ensure that this promise be fulfilled, " Commissioner Cretu said.