The European Commission (EC), the executive arm of the EU, has approved the reimbursement of EUR 172 million worth of EU funds under the Transport Operational Program.
Another EUR 25.7 million is pending approval from the EC, and the Ministry of Public Finance will submit another EUR 143 million in fresh expenditure for projects carried out under the same program.
The Ministry of Transport is waiting for the reimbursement of EUR 368 million in total, which should increase the absorption rate in this program from 10.6 percent to 14.9 percent.
The management authority for the transport program is currently working to authorize another EUR 207.5 million in expenditure. This procedure should be completed by August 15.
Around EUR 478 million have been reimbursed in the transport program in the 2007-2012 period. Payments in this program have been unlocked in June 21 after the EC pre-suspended and ceased payments due to mismanagement of the funds and fraud allegations.
Ovidiu Posirca