The ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEDAT) is strengthening Romania's role in Europe through its active involvement in the EUMINDA project - How to recognise, balance and repair Mining Damage on societies and the environment in the EU.
According to a press release of the Ministry, the initiative, co-financed by the Interreg Europe 2021-2027 programme, is carried out within the framework of the "Europe closer to citizens" objective and addresses the complex challenges generated by long-term mining legacies, with legal, socio-economic and environmental impact, agerpres reports.
The project brings together 12 partners from 9 European countries, including two EU candidates - Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina - alongside Netherlands, Romania, Poland, Greece, Finland, the Czech Republic and Spain. This extended collaboration proves the European commitment to common solutions in mining regions in transition, the same source emphasises.
The project duration is 48+3 months (May 2025 - July 2029), divided into three stages: main, follow-up and closure. The total budget amounts to 2.29 million euros, of which 1.83 million euros represent EU funding, of which partner ROMECO-Romania gets a share of approximately 215,326.50 euros (80% European funds and 20% national contribution) to cover implementation costs.
EUMINDA focuses on three essential pillars: clarifying legal responsibilities and the status of affected areas, supporting communities and identifying sustainable socio-economic solutions, as well as protecting the environment by promoting responsible practices.
Romania is present through the Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, under the name ROMECO, with the objectives of reviewing and improving public policies on mining, updating regulations for responsible mining, strengthening institutional capacities and promoting local communities.
According to the same source, the results of the first semester of implementation (May-October 2025) confirm the progress of the project at European level. The partner teams have consolidated the working structures, harmonised the methodologies and launched the first common communication tools - the EUMINDA website, social media pages and local platforms.
"Romania, through MEDAT/ROMECO, contributed to these results by developing the national report Current Status Analysis (SQA), presenting the project at profile events and attracting prestigious national and local partners: Conversmin S.A, the University of Bucharest, the Romanian Geological Institute, the University of Petrosani, INCD INSEMEX Petrosani, the Agency for Western Development, the Hunedoara Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Deva City Hall and the Teliucu Inferior Rural Town Hall. In addition, ROMECO coordinated the development and transmission of the EUMINDA Communication Strategy, as well as the evaluation of visibility indicators," the same press release further states.
Representatives of the Ministry of Economy also emphasise that Romania's participation in EUMINDA is part of the broader story of the Interreg programme, which this year celebrated 35 years of European cooperation and 18 years of impact in Romania. In this context, MEDAT is developing, alongside EUMINDA, the Mystical Danube and Incremental projects, dedicated to valorising cultural heritage and supporting local communities. All these initiatives were presented within the "Interreg Spectaculum" in November 2025, confirming Romania's commitment to collaboration, dialogue and sustainable development.
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