After a two years delay the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry's management Authority was approved by the European Commission to handle 4.7 non-refundable billion euros. From now on, the Transport Ministry cannot make excuses about not being able to access European money.
Romanian authorities have eventually finalised the audit procedures and all the necessary paperwork have been sent to the EU, the latter confirming everything was all right. "I can now say that the relationship with the EU is normal, but unfortunately it took two years," Romanian minister of Transport Radu Berceanu said.
The transports sector is the worst Romanian department when it comes to accessing European funds. Still, the infrastructure is the most popular segment with European money, having been made available the largest sum, which needs to be accessed by 2013.
The European Union approved paying-up 125 million euros for two infrastructure projects: Cernavoda-Constanta motorway and Constanta ring, Berceanu announced. This money stands for only 2.6% of the total funds that the transport sector could enjoy. Transport minsiter said that the sum was small for the number of projects Romania has and for which the authorities hope to receive funding.
There were 12 contracted projects by the end of this year first semester, worth of 321 million lei. Cernavoda-Constanta motorway will receive a 71 million euros funding, while Constanta ring will get 53 million euros. Both projects cost around 600 million euros. 338 million are being made available by the European Investment Bank, 136 by the Romanian state and 125 by the EU.
Romanian minister of Transports Radu Berceanu claims that in 2011 one would get from Bucharest to Constanta only by driving on the motorway. After a two years delay the Transport and Infrastructure Ministry's management
