Romania absorbed only 7.78% of the money the EU allocated for the country in 2007-2008. Elsewhere in the news, "Mare Nigrum", Romania's single research ship, is mapping in the Black Sea what could be one of the largest hydrocarbon resources in the world. Last but not least, the Romanian press reads about Unirea Urziceni, Romania's football champion, and its 4-1 win against Scotland's first team, Glasgow Rangers.
Romania absorbed only 7.78% of the money the EU allocated for the country in 2007-2008, despite the fact that the approved projects cover 57% of the structural funds available, Cotidianul reads. The sum to be paid for Romania for the mentioned year - 5.64 billion euros - can be spent until the end of 2011, or else the money is lost. 12.975 projects have been submitted for funding by the end of September, out of which 2,672 were approved, 4,740 were rejected and 4,365 are still being evaluated.
The money is divided on seven departments. The largest sum is allocated for the Environment, a sector that managed to absorb only 13.26% of the funds. According to the European Commission's funds special report, Romania also risks loosing non-refundable money by the end of next year, worth of almost 1 billion euros. Part of it is PHARE money, available for projects adapting the Romanian law to the European law, projects of strengthening institutional capacities and of social-economic cohesion.
"Mare Nigrum", Romania's single research ship with a crew of 22 sailors plus 25 researchers, managed to find hydrocarbon ores 2,200 meters deep in the Black Sea, Romania Libera reads. Specialists say that the available technology does not permit extraction so far, but countries such as Japan are on the way to develop the means. "Mare Nigrum", the 40-year old ship, is known internationally for its involvement in various EU research programmes. It
