Fast pace of structural fund payments towards yearend

Out of the 8.6bn euros in European structural funds available for the 2007-2010 period, local authorities have so far transferred almost 1.4bn euros to beneficiaries, meaning a 15.4% absorption rate.
Major payments have started being operated in the past three months, when those who won European projects have received almost 420m euros.
Reimbursements operated so far are still low, at 390m euros, with the rest being represented by pre-funding, namely sums granted in advance for projects to be started.
"We're still moving very slowly if we look at the absorption degree. The final term is drawing closer and awareness is growing at the level of political structures that European money must be drawn," says Dragoş Jaliu, a partner of Structural Consulting Group consultancy.
Still lagging behind in drawing European funds is the transport operational programme (1.83%), which operated no payment in October.