over two billion euros in the first 13 years

On Europe Day, the Central Regional Development Agency summarizes the benefits brought to the six counties in its area of ​​competence as a result of Romania’s status as a member country of the European Union.

ADR Centru is a non-governmental organization coordinated by a council that includes the presidents of the county councils and representatives of the municipalities, cities and communes from each of the six counties that make up the Center Region, i.e. Sibiu, Alba, Brașov, Harghita, Covasna and Mureș.

“The Central Regional Development Agency is an instrument of the European Union, an NGO that manages non-reimbursable European funds since 1999, which arrive in the form of financing and projects of over 2 billion euros in the period 2007-2020 – through which roads were modernized, hospitals, schools, historical fortresses, fortified churches, green buses were purchased, bicycle paths, parks, centers for young people and the elderly were created in cities, municipalities, through town halls, county councils, NGOs or the private sector” , transmits Simion Crețu, general director of ADR Centru, in a press release sent to Turnul Sfatului readers. Crețu shows that at the level of the entire country, in 2007-2024, 80 billion euros were drawn from the EU budget, an amount three times greater than what Romania contributed to the European construction.

Of the more than two billion, 440 million euros were attracted and invested in the six counties through the Regional Operational Program (POR) 2007-2013. “499 projects were contracted through which more than 300 km of roads and streets were modernized , the ISU bases were equipped, over 60 educational units and 14 health units were rehabilitated, and 25 historical heritage sites were restored”, list the representatives of ADR Centru.

In the same European budget year 2007-2013, another 320 million euros were attracted by private entities from the six counties. “More than 20,000 square meters of production space were built and more than 30,000 jobs were created or maintained.”

In the recently ended financial year (recent for Romanians, because our country received a three-year exemption for spending the funds allocated for the period 2014 – 2020), the amounts attracted increased. “During the implementation of the Regional Operational Program 2014-2020 – a budget of 766.77 million euros was managed and a number of 1,191 projects with a requested value of 1.43 billion euros, led to an absorption of over 135%, which it means that more than one billion euros was used in the development of the region”.

“Every year on Europe Day, May 9, we celebrate peace and unity in Europe. After the Second World War, to preserve peace, the French foreign minister, Robert Schuman, proposed on May 9, 1950, the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community, the core of the future European Union. In addition to Europe Day, on this date Romania also celebrates Independence Day, when Romania became an independent state, and Victory Day, which marked the victory of the Allied Powers over Nazi Germany”, ADR Centru announced

Another 1.15 billion euros available

From the current European budget exercise, 2021 – 2027, ADR Centru plays the role of management authority in the management of the ROP (until now it was an intermediate body). 1.15 billion euros are the non-refundable funds that can be absorbed in the six central counties, an amount to which 230 million euros are added, co-financing from the state budget.

“Up to now, 16 funding calls with a total value of over 900 million euros have been launched on this program. Almost 900 funding requests with a total value of over 1 billion euros have already been submitted, of which 26 projects with a value of over 95 million euros have been contracted or are in pre-contracting,” ADR Centru representatives say.

The management of Sibiu county announces that, for example, the investment budget for the current year is based on the European funds attracted. “72% of this year’s investment budget is made up of the non-refundable European funds that the Sibiu County Council obtained through various programs. I think that this simplification is relevant and that it reveals the size of the European contribution to all our efforts”, wrote Daniela Cîmpean, president of the Sibiu Regional Court, on her Facebook page.

From a statistical point of view, Romanians are doing better since they joined the European Union, also show the representatives of ADR Centru. “The purchasing power of Romanians has increased to 77% of the EU average, while 20 years ago it was less than 40% of this average. During this time, we have surpassed countries like Latvia, which is at 74% of the EU average, Croatia – 73%, Greece – 68%, Slovakia – 67% and Bulgaria – 59%”.

Main photo: group photo of the leaders of the EU member countries at the 2019 summit in Sibiu

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