Minister of European Investment and Projects Dragos Pislaru on Wednesday told the launch conference of the project "Provision of integrated services in rural communities - facilitating the access of vulnerable people to efficient and quality basic services", which took place in the village of Sintesti, Ialomita County, that this initiative will become the backbone of social policy in Romania.
"Today's project is a backbone on which we will continue to build social policy in Romania. The story begins with a social work system that has been suffering for many years. (...) We are now looking at a social system in Romania that is taking shape with significant support from the European Union. Very important is the type of project, a project that, this time, on the innovation that the European Commission brings, no longer measures only the effort, namely how much you spend, how much you act, but it measures the performance and what results you get. This should be the future on all types of policies, an administration that, in the end, is measured not by reform, but by results and performance," said Pislaru.
The minister highlighted the fact that Romania is one of the few EU member states that implements such a results-based pilot financing mechanism, contributing to the establishment of good practices in the European Union.
"We are more than happy to be part of this effort made by the European Commission. Why? Because we are, finally, in the few projects at European level that are being piloted for the European Commission on this system. Not only are we completely reforming and innovating what is happening in Romania, but we are contributing to good practices at European level."
Pislaru underlined the importance of continuity, cooperation between institutions and the efficient use of European funds for the development of social policies.
"Let me conclude by putting all these perspectives and stories together. The idea of continuity, when you have something good, you pilot, you scale. The idea of working as a team, several institutions for a common goal, which in the end is to help people. The idea of working side by side with the European Commission, at European level, and understanding that Romania not only benefits from community support but contributes with a model of good practice at European level. The idea of using European money to boost, to open up social innovation and how we can really have a policy of cohesion and social inclusion. All these stories mean, in fact, today's project. The stakes are high," the minister said.
The project is co-financed by the European Union under the Inclusion and Social Dignity Programme 2021-2027 and will be implemented between January 2025 and December 2029. It is carried out by the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Health and the National Agency for Payments and Social Inspection (ANPIS). The main objective of the project is to increase social inclusion and alleviate poverty by setting up Integrated Community Teams (ICTs) in 2,000 small towns in Romania, which will bring together specialists in social work, healthcare and education, in order to provide basic services to vulnerable people.
The launch event took place in the village of Sintesti, Ialomita County, in the presence of European Commissioner Roxana Minzatu, officials of the Ministry of European Investment and Projects, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the World Bank and local governments.
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