Romania's EU Funds Ministry starts consultations on allotting EUR 31 bln funds for development

Romania's EU Funds Ministry started on Tuesday the public consultations for the allotment of EUR 31 billion worth of EU funds for development for the 2021-2027 period.

The ministry has invited to the talks over 1,100 entities representing the civil society, employers' organizations, unions, and public institutions.

"In the next programming period, Romania has at its disposal EUR 31 billion divided into four instruments: the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, and the Fair Transition Fund, plus the budget for the National Relaunch and Resilience Program," explained Adrian Mariciuc, secretary of state within the Ministry of European Funds, News.ro reported.

These national development resources will be invested in 2021-2027 to develop transport and water infrastructure, reduce inter-regional gaps, digitize the economy, and encourage youth and rural entrepreneurship.

Some EUR 19 billion (55% of the budget) comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is mainly dedicated to digitization, sustainable development, social inclusion, and health. Another EUR 6.07 billion (26%) comes from the European Social Fund (ESF +), which will support social inclusion, health, education, and employment.

About EUR 4.49 billion (14% of the budget) comes from the Cohesion Fund and is allocated to the development of transport and will support sustainable development. The remaining EUR 1.76 billion (5%) will be allocated to the European Fair Transition Fund to support the economic diversification of the most affected regions.

The money will finance eight operational programs.

(Photo source: Marian Vejcik/Dreamstime.com)