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European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu on Wednesday said that in Romania the absorption rate for the funds allotted for the 2007-2013 period will exceed 90 percent and that invoices corresponding to this period are still received until the end of this month. "I have made all possible efforts to increase the absorption rate. When I became a European commissioner, Romania had 60 percent absorption rate. Romania has no longer lost any euro on the period 2015-2016 from the allotments it had. I want to inform you that until 31 March we still receive invoices for the 2007-2013 programming period, after which the Commission has at its disposal five months to analyse them. Indeed, our estimations reveal that the absorption rate will exceed 90 percent. The losses are estimated at round 2 billion coming mainly from the period 2007-2011, when the financial programme began with delays. We have made all efforts to stage the projects that couldn't be completed," Corina Cretu said in the joint parliamentary committees on European affairs.
Previously, the chairman of the committee on European affairs, Victor Ponta, had said that together with former minister Marius Nica and Eugen Teodorovici, Corina Cretu was among those who made it possible for Romania to have over expectation results in the area of EU funds absorption. "If the figures are correct, I believe that in the end Romania will absorb 90 percent of the funds allotted for the 2007-2013 period, which is much beyond my expectations, at least, I believe everyone's expectations. I know that when Mr Teodorovici and Mr Nica told me we'd absorb 80 percent, I told them not to utter this figure, because we'd make fools of ourselves. There you see that we'll end up with 90 percent," Victor Ponta showed.
