The European Commission reportedly refused Romania's plan to re-allocate Resilience Facility money from infrastructure projects that are delayed and can not be implemented within the deadline to projects that are in a more advanced stage but were developed under national schemes (hence contracted under different, generally less restrictive, procedures).

Even if the formation of a new government in Bucharest after the presidential elections won by the pro-EU candidate Nicusor Dan could provide more time and possibly induce a new approach on the Romanian side, the country is visibly facing a deadlock in using the Resilience Facility money.

Romania's minister of investments and European projects, Marcel Boloș, said the country may lose some EUR 10 billion out of a total of EUR 29 billion of grants and loans assigned to Romania under the Resilience Facility, according to Europa FM.

"It is [not a failure but] rather a disagreement with the recommendations of the European Commission, a disagreement that would mean at least EUR 10 billion loss for the country," said the minister after a Romanian delegation visiting Brussels last week held discussions with representatives of the European Commission.

Economedia.ro quoted sources familiar with the talks that announced that the "disagreement" regards the criteria for replacing investments financed under the Resilience Facility that do not have a good implementation pace. The Romanian side would reportedly seek to use the Resilience Facility money to refinance investments already implemented under the national plan Anghel Saligny.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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