Romania to be granted €300 million in EU funds in August

The money is part of the EU's Structural and Cohesion Funds budget established for Romania for 2007-2003.

The ministry added that the monthly balance of payments is not relevant and provides no indication on the final balance sheet, to be determined by the end of the year. This reaction of the state institution comes following a local media story reporting that Romania has contributed more funds than it received from the European Union in the first half of the year.

The quality of beneficiary or contributor to the communitarian budget is to be determined by the end of the year, the release says.

This view is shared by the European Commission's financial programming and budget department. "None of the countries joining the EU in 2004 has been a net contributor to the EU budget these past years. So there is no reason to say that Romania and Bulgaria could become net contributors to the EU budget," European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, Robert Soltyk, said, quoted by the euractiv.ro website.

In 2007, Romania is to be granted funds worth €400 million in structural funds, as advance payment for projects in several areas, an additional €150 million in agricultural funds, and €600 million in pre-accession PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD funds. The latter funds are to be transferred to Romania mostly in the second half of the year.

Thus, Romania is to receive a total of €1.15 billion from the European Union, while its contribution to the communitarian budget amounts to €1.1 billion. Some €581 million have already been transferred to the EU budget.

Funds granted this August are to be allotted to local and central authorities and non-governmental organizations, for the launching of several projects. Part of the money is to be used to reimburse expenditures relating to approved projects.

Programs
 The five Operational Programs, approved on July 12, with EU financing approved by the European Commission are related to increasing economic competitiveness, regional programs, transportation, environment and technical assistance.