Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca on Friday stated that following talks in Brussels, the conclusion was reached that „adjustments” need to be operated on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), while showing that there is no time for renegotiation, because it would mean a waste of time and resources, according to Agerpres.

„Basically, after all these discussions, the result, the conclusion is that we need to make some adjustments, since we don’t have time for renegotiation, because it would mean a loss of both time and resources and, basically, the commitment to implement this PNRR and to do it in such a way that we can achieve the full absorption of financial funds, from grants and loans, will not be achieved 100pct. As such, our commitment is to do everything possible, so that together with the technical staff from the ministries, those who are coordinating reforms and the technical staff from the Commission, we agree and manage to find those solutions to ensure the fulfillment and implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan,” Ciuca said at the beginning of the Government meeting.

He said that there was a discussion „in principle” about the ceiling of 9.4pct of GDP assumed by the PNRR for pensions.

„I agreed with the president [Ursula von der Leyen – editor’s note] that this indicator can be replaced by indicators of fiscal discipline, based on the World Bank study, and the technical details related to the manner in which it will be done will be established at the level of the specialist committees,” said the PM.

Regarding decarbonization, it was agreed that, in the current context, it is necessary to take measures at the level of the European Union to ensure energy security, the head of the Government mentioned.

„Romania has coordinated and will continue to coordinate with the European Commission in all the decisions that have been taken and will be taken in the future in order to be able to guarantee energy security and in this way, according to its own plan regarding decarbonization, on December 31 we will be able to stop production at two energy groups, each of 300 mW. These two groups, as we agreed, could be placed as technical backup, so that they will be available to be restarted as many times as it will be needed to ensure energy and balance of the system,” said Ciuca.

The Prime Minister stated that during his visit to Brussels, elements of transport infrastructure were also discussed.

„Basically, all these discussions were agreed in the sense that changes within the PNRR can be technically agreed. And here I come and present an example. Under the PNRR, we undertook to complete the M4 subway line, while keeping in mind that this is not yet a mature project and there is not enough time for it to be completed by 2026, which means that there is a possibility that this line can be replaced by another, which can be completed and ensure the absorption of the money,” explained Nicolae Ciuca.

Agerpres