Romania and the cities of the future
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu has announced that 36 cities in Romania will be able to access some 1,2 billion euros worth of European funds for development.
Leyla Cheamil, 04.10.2016, 14:54
Over half of Romania’s 20 million inhabitants is living in towns and cities. Urban life comes with a rhythm and quality of its own, generating economic, social and tourist development and encouraging local potential. Urban policies seek to improve living standards by developing and beautifying cities, making them more people-friendly.
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu attended a conference called “My City in Our Europe — Current challenges to sustainable urban development and the role of EU funds”, held in Bucharest. On this occasion, the EU official has warned that many cities across Romania, including the capital city, are reporting delays in the process of absorbing EU funds for development. Romania, Corina Cretu argues, needs experts to implement EU-funded projects that should make more jobs available.
Corina Cretu: “EU Funds for the 2014-2020 period should not be invested chaotically, but according to thematic priorities. Romania lacks quality projects, large-scale projects. A lot has been done, but only at a smaller scale: pipeline repair works or other things that could have been accomplished using national or local resources. I believe we need more large-scope projects with a nationwide impact that should generate more jobs. I think the trend of splitting the money to all the city halls in order to make everyone happy is an ineffective strategy, because with low sums of money we can only carry out small projects”.
The European Commissioner also said that one of the important projects for Bucharest could be the modernization of the heating network using European funds.
Corina Cretu: “A 100-million-euro budget has been made available under the Regional Development Fund for modernizing some 500 km of Bucharest’s sewerage system. My colleagues at DG REGIO are this week convening at the European Investment Bank to assess the extent to which the next 500km by be financed by the European Investment Bank, also because they are aware of the poor quality of tap water in Romania and the possibility of shutting down the heat”.
Some 46 county seats will be able to access 1,2 billion euros worth of developments funds, Corina Cretu also said, urging Romanian authorities to submit projects and feasibility studies to Brussels as soon as possible.
