Romania has got EU funded programs worth EUR 3.3 billion blocked, for the year 2007-2013, money that could be lost, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said on Friday, signing the decision approving the Large Infrastructure Operational Program 2014 2020.
"It's the first time I am telling you this, but I’ve asked the minister, I’ve asked all the institutions for 2007-2013 we have programs of 3.3 billion euros that are blocked after various investigations and that we might lose them, if we fail to have the outcome of these inquiries by December. Let’s learn from this painful experience 2007-2013 and for the new financial period we should not have any program blocked on account of investigations, " Ponta said. He signed Friday at the Victoria Palace, together with European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, the decision approving the Operational Program for Large Infrastructure (POIM) 2014-2020 program which also includes the Masterplan for transport.
The European Commission adopted the program for large infrastructure, worth about 9.5 billion euros from EU funds, nearly half of the 23 billion euro allocated to Romania, targeting projects in transport, energy and environment. The program will implement Transport Masterplan strategy for the upcoming years in the Romanian transport sector, which aim to improve existing infrastructure, develop a sustainable urban transport system and complete the TEN-T core network in Romania. Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu said that by 2020, one in four inhabitants of Bucharest will use the subway while train travel on all railways in the TEN-T network will be reduced by 20%.