Interim Prime Minister Catalin Predoiu requested, during a working meeting held on Wednesday at Victoria Palace, that Minister of Investments and European Projects Marcel Bolos, along with the line ministers involved in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), speed up technical discussions and negotiations with representatives of the European Commission.

According to a government statement, during the meeting, which was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacsu, Minister Bolos presented the current status of the PNRR, broken down by ministry, as well as the state of technical and ministerial-level discussions with representatives of the European Commission regarding proposed changes to the PNRR.

The discussions focused particularly on the following aspects: finalising the process of amending the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR); submitting payment request no. 4 immediately after the approval of the PNRR modifications; and the status of the fiscal reform, a topic of interest to the European Commission, the release notes.

The issue of PNRR amendments and the related reforms, including the fiscal-budgetary reform, was also discussed in the context of the government’s interim status and the constitutional constraints arising from it, which limit the government’s legal capacity to current administrative actions, excluding new reforms and policies. This point was raised by the acting prime minister, according to the statement.

„Although we are operating under interim conditions, the PNRR remains a priority on the Government’s agenda. I am asking Minister Bolos and the line ministers involved in the PNRR to speed up technical discussions and negotiations with the European Commission. After the round of discussions Minister Bolos will have in Brussels next week, the interim Government will publicly communicate the programme status and the outcome of those talks. The interim status limits the Government’s ability to intervene directly with emergency ordinances and draft laws to accelerate measures. Therefore, to continue these efforts, the interim Government will seek the cooperation and involvement of Parliament in adopting any necessary legislative measures, depending on the outcome of discussions with the European Commission, including in the area of fiscal reforms. The PNRR is a national objective, and it is natural for Parliament to be involved in this effort. As acting prime minister, I will cooperate with Parliament, as I have done on previous national goals, such as the lifting of the CVM [Cooperation and Verification Mechanism] in the area of Justice in 2022,” said Catalin Predoiu, as quoted in the release.

Following the government meeting, technical online discussions took place on Wednesday between representatives of the Ministry of Investments and European Projects, relevant ministries responsible for reforms and investments, and representatives of the European Commission, according to the pre-established schedule, the press release also informs.

The discussions will continue on Thursday, and Minister Marcel Bolos will pay make a working visit to Brussels to discuss, at the ministerial level, the principles behind the modification of the PNRR, the press release further reads.

AGERPRES