The European Commission (EC) has recently decided to resume payments for four out of the five suspended funding lines under the Regional Operational Programme (ROP), following the measures implemented by the Romanian Government.

“Some 80 percent of the total funds allocated to Romania under this program are available through the four lines for which the payments are resumed. The Transport Sector Operational Programme and the Increasing Economic Competitiveness Operational Programme are to be unlocked as soon as possible, regardless of scale of the efforts employees of the involved ministries have to put-in,” reads a statement from the Romanian Ministry of European Funds.

Following this decision, Romania will receive over EUR 150 million under ROP, an amount for which the Romanian institution sent to the EC the necessary documents for reimbursement, in March 2013.

EC pre-suspended this program in late October 2012 due to the implementation problems recorded between 2009 and 2011. However, the payments still remain blocked for the program’s Priority Axis 6.

“Further efforts of the Ministry of Regional Developments and Public Administration and the Ministry of European Funds will focus on the full release of this program,” said Romanian Minister of European Funds, Eugen Teodorovici.

The amount allocated to Romania under ROP totals over EUR 3.7 billion. According to the Minister, some 3,400 funding agreements were so far signed under this program. In late March 2013, the ROP absorption rate was 24.3 percent, higher than other operational programs.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com