Negotiations on the future EU budget

Romania and the European Commission started negotiations on a partnership agreement with European funds and programs for 2014-2020.

Representatives of the European Commission presented Monday in Bucharest the Commission's views on how EU money should be spent for 2014-2020.

It's no secret that Romania did not do very well so far with European funds.

And starting 2014, it will be even harder, because the future EU budget, the Commission establishes a limited number of priority areas in which to be used money, but also tougher conditions in the choice of projects to be funded.

If until now we had provided money and we thought about what to do with them, in 2014, things are changing.

We need to think what we need and then ask money.

A condition of funding, for instance, will be that a proposed project will have an impact on the community, i.e. to generate profits not only for those who implement the project.

Meanwhile, the EU money will probably be less, which Romania does not agree.

Additional support for industry

European Affairs Minister Leonard Orban said Monday that he does not think it will reach an agreement between all Member States of the 2014-2020budget by the end of the year.

"Recently, the Cypriot President put on the table a new proposal to cut 50 billion euros from the European Commission proposed allocations.

"We are not at all happy with what I saw.

"Not only because it is a reduction, but also because that fine balance that was included in the European Commission's proposal, not only between allocation for different policies but also between allocations for different Member States, is lost in the moment.

"Therefore, we are not willing to support such a proposal," said Leonard Orban.

The European Affairs Minister announced that Romania will negotiate with the European Commission to include new priorities for funding and support, namely, the industry, not only for the small and medium companies, but also for the large ones.

In addition, Minister Leonard Orban said he would promote the involvement of the private sector in the management of EU funds.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University