The Ministry of European Funds has been re-established as a full ministry in the new PSD-ALDE government led by Viorica Dancila.
The ministry is the coordinating authority in Romania for European funds, for structural and investments funds 2014-2020 (ESI funds: Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund, Cohesion Fund, European Agricultural and Rural Development Fund, European Fund for Fishing and Marine Business), structural instruments 2007-2013, and financial mechanisms in the European and Norwegian Economic Space. As such, the institution is the contact point with the European Commission for ESI funds, ensures relations with the Commission and coordinates authorities that have a role in managing funds, coordinates the development and modification of operational funds, monitors the programme implementation stage and coordinates the evaluation of fund implementation, coordinates communication between ESI funds in Romania.
Moreover, the ministry has the role of management authority for the following operational programmes funded through the 2014-2020 Cohesion Policy: Big Infrastructure; Competitiveness; Human Resources; Technical Assistance. It prepares and launches calls financed by these programmes, selects and contracts projects, monitors implementation, reimburses beneficiaries for expenses in the projects, sends expenditure statements to other authorities as a basis for reimbursement requests sent to the European Commission.
Minister Rovana Plumb took over the portfolio from deputy PM Paul Stanescu on February 1, 2018.