Moldova could benefit from structural funds earmarked by EC for Romania

The European Commission (EC) has approved the transfer to Romania of a two percent advance payment from the structural funds, which is the equivalent of about EUR 330 million according to preliminary estimates, said Romania’s Development Minister Laszlo Borbely. According to the minister, the Romanian Committee for the Regional Operational Programme, which will hold its first meeting on August 16, is to discuss the priority intervention axes, among which supporting urban development, improving regional and local transport infrastructure, and improving social infrastructure. The minister also mentioned the 11 European Territorial Cooperation Programmes providing EUR 300-400 million to Romania out of a total of about EUR 16 billion for the period 2007-2013. The Programmes comprise cooperation projects between Bulgaria, Hungary, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Slovakia and Serbia, as well as a series of transnational cooperation programmes between South East European countries, and a cooperation project for the Black Sea Basin. The projects will be implemented by the public authorities of the partner-countries and will be funded on condition that the projects involve at least two beneficiaries, one on each side of the border, said the minister, specifying that the project proposals could be submitted next year.