MEP Corina Cretu voiced her concern on Saturday at a press conference held in Iasi that major cuts could be made in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027.
Corina Cretu stated that the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union proposes a different calculation method than the one used so far, which would disadvantage Romania, as opposed to the budget version proposed last year by the Juncker Commission.
"I am very concerned about the proposal of the Finnish Presidency, which is targeting major cuts of European funds for the less developed countries. This is why I believe that Romania, together with its friends, especially those from the Eastern European countries, must make a common front in order to fend off this proposal of the European Commission, which has been submitted on the table of Parliament and the European Council since May 2, 2018," said Corina Cretu.
She maintained that Romania had the chance to "fight" so that this budget from 2021-2027 be adopted during its rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU "and would have had all the interest", but that it missed this chance, the talks being blocked .
"I am very afraid that we will not be able to use European money starting with 1 January 2021 because of the late adoption of the legislation. What I would like to say is that I have transmitted in the last five years, and especially in the last three years - but I saw this ill will of the Romanian authorities - I have constantly transmitted letters with the up-to-date situations, to the Romanian institutions, I sent them to the government. I transmitted them at that time precisely to maintain these alarm signals in the institutional memory. I think these letters can be made public if the Romanian authorities are willing to, so that the Romanians know what the real situation is. I am ready to personally explain how things have evolved. I am worried that the EU budget could be reduced in the period 2021-2027, I am worried about the fact that we are not able to absorb European funds. The 2014 - 2020 period is practically coming to an end and the projects can still be submitted by the end of 2020, and then payments can still be made until 2023," said Corina Cretu.
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