The Central Regional Programme (PR) has received positive approval from the European Commission (EC) for a financing of around 1.384 billion EUR, after the West PR, South-Muntenia PR, North-West PR, South-West Oltenia PR, South-East PR and North-East PR previously received approval, according to a press release of the Ministry of European Investments and Projects (MIPE) sent to Agerpres.

According to the quoted source, the total value of the eight programmes for the period 2021-2027 exceeds 11 billion EUR and they are developed in such a way which allows the transfer of administrative and financial competences from the level of the central public administration to the level of the public administration of the administrative-territorial units, together with the financial resources necessary for their exercise.

„With a population of 2.3 million inhabitants, the counties that make up the Center area registered a demographic decline of 13pct in the period 2000-2021. In this situation, the underfunding of education delayed the modernization of the educational system and the provision of an adequate response to these changes. From this perspective, the educational offer requires an alignment with the need for skills and specializations required by employers, that will contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the regional economy and provide equal opportunities for access to quality education for all children. This is only one of the perspectives. Many small urban and rural localities have a precarious economic situation, rapidly deteriorating, and the 1.38 billion EUR allocated through the Regional Programme will act exactly where it is needed, in order to capitalize on the economic potential specific to the area,” Minister of European Investments and Projects Marcel Bolos stated.

Regarding the Center Regional Programme, the total financial allocation is 1,384,456,339 EUR and supports, through specific funding priorities, the transformation of the region into a competitive region through innovation and dynamic enterprises for an intelligent economy (total allocation 270.57 million EUR), digital (80.93 million eur), with environmentally friendly communities (233.78 million EUR), with sustainable urban mobility (233.78 million EUR) and accessible (197.68 million EUR), an educated region (93.17 million EUR), with sustainable tourism (30.89 million EUR) and attractive (185.36 million EUR).

The MIPE mentions that, the signing event of the Partnership Agreement between the Government of Romania and the European Commission took place recently, the strategic document covering the funds of the Cohesion Policy and that of the Maritime affairs and Fisheries Policy for the 2021-2027 Programming period. Thus, in the third financial exercise through which the Romanian state will benefit from European funds, 16 programmes will be implemented, through which Romania will be allocated over 31 billion EUR.

The first Programme approved by the European executive from the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy was the Technical Assistance Programme, on 23 August, with an allocation of 960 million EUR.

Furthermore, the relevant Ministry aims to complete the process of formal negotiation and approval of all programmes related to the period 2021-2027 until the end of 2022.

At the end of June, the Government approved an Emergency Ordinance that completes the legal framework necessary for the exercise by the Regional Development Agencies (ADR) of the powers deriving from fulfilling the quality of management authority (MA) in the area of regional development as well as in the area of prevention, finding and sanctioning irregularities.

Agerpres