Summing up how things stand with European funds attracted untilDecember 2010, the result is disastrous: only 47 million euros paidfrom EU funds of the 4.5 billion euros available. At this rate,there is a danger of losing the money allocated to this sector toother countries. Who stands to answer for this?
Of the 4.57 billion euros that the European Union allocated toRomania between 2007 and 2013 for infrastructure, theTransportation Ministry had attracted as little as 47 million eurosuntil December 2010 - i.e. 1% of the amount. This is the lowestpercentage of EU funds attracted out of all the chapters, althoughthis was the sector that needed investments the most.
So, an activity that is expected to drive Romania out of recession,such as infrastructure works (which would not only create jobs, butalso a new dynamic for connected businesses - cement, asphalt,concrete), and, once the infrastructure was modernised, it wouldhelp goods transport companies and tourism, is all butfrozen.
Who is to blame and who will pay for this?
The situation could see allocations change because the EU ispreparing to reallocate amounts for the 2007-2013 period, with someof the unspent money potentially to be redistributed to othercountries.
The same people have been at the helm of the TransportationMinistry for years - Radu Berceanu (PDL, transportation ministertwice in 2006-2007 and 2009-2010), Gheorghe Dobre (PDL,transportation minister between 2004 and 2006, currently secretarygeneral of the Transport Ministry), Ludovic Orban (PNL, ministerbetween 2007 and 2008), Anca Boagiu (PDL, currently transportminister, who also held this position in 2000, when she succeededTraian Băsescu), and the results are showing today: theinfrastructure is extremely poor, and the "free" money for buildingroads and motorways is stuck because of the Ministry'sinaction.
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