The Transport Ministry this year set out to draw several hundredmillion euros from the EU non-repayable funds (through the SectoralOperational Programme for Transport), after in 2009 it attractedonly 32m euros, the equivalent of 2.4% in the total amount it canaccess by 2013.
The EU by the end of last year approved infrastructure andtransport projects totally worth 1.1bn euros through the POS-Tprogramme, in line with which 4.5bn euros were earmarked forRomania by 2013.
Thus, in line with the most upbeat scenario, European funds ofaround 300-400m euros may be absorbed this year, according to ZFestimates based on data provided by the TransportationMinistry.
The value of approved projects includes all eligible costs(construction cost), of which the EU co-finances 85%, andnon-eligible costs (expropriations, authorisations, utilitiestransfers, VAT).
"Firstly, money from the budget must be allotted for theseprojects. The EU co-finances just 85% of eligible costs only afterwe pay invoices to builders. For instance, if a project has aconstruction value of 100m euros, the EU earmarks 85m euros. Buttaking into account non-eligible expenses, the project gets to 170meuros, and the state must first have this money and willsubsequently get the money from the EU," Constantin Dascalu, asecretary of state with the Transportation Ministry, told ZF.
The projects due to absorb money from the European Union thisyear will be Cernavoda-Constanta highway (51 kilometres), Constantaorbital road (22 kilometres), the rehabilitation of DN1H (1Hnational road) Zalau-Alesd (69.3 kilometres), the rehabilitation ofDN24 Galati-Vaslui-Crasna county limit and DN24B Crasna-Albesti(94.7 kilometres).
"This is the first year we really have necessary projects thatcan generate a high absorption of European funds. To the 1.126bneuros already approved, the projects worth 2.54bn euros alreadysubmitted and awaiting approval will be added," Constantin Dascalustates.
He chose not to specify the absorption degree of transportinfrastructure funds to be reached in late 2010, because this mayvary depending on the projects filed with the European Commissionand awaiting approval.
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