The project to build the
\nSibiu-Pitesti motorway will continue, and the Romanian authorities will submit
\nall clarifications requested by the European Commission in due time, so that
\nthe funding request should unfold within normal parameters, Transport Minister
\nLucian Bode has said. The Romanian Minister said this is the biggest road
\ninfrastructure project in Romania funded with EU funds. The total value of the
\nproject stands at 1.3 billion euros, of which 85% is due to be disbursed by the
\nEuropean Commission. Representatives of several government institutions on
\nMonday convened for a joint session at the Transport Ministry to draft a
\nresponse to questions from the European Commission over the impact of the
\nSibiu-Pitesti motorway on the environment, which is a prerequisite to the
\nnon-reimbursable financial assistance from the EU. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Commission demanded
\nclarifications over the impact the motorway might have on some protected
\nnatural areas to be crossed by the motorway. The timetable for the completion
\nof the motorway will also be presented, in addition to the implementation of
\nthe management plans at national level and the establishment of goals to
\npreserve wildlife species in the protected areas in question. At least 11
\nprotected natural areas located over the course of the motorway need concrete
\npreservation measures that Romania hasn’t adopted yet, the Commission recently
\nwarned. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Former Social-Democrat Transport Minister Razvan Cuc recently published
\na conversation between the Transport Ministry in Bucharest and the European
\nCommission, showing that Romania has not taken concrete preservation measures
\nfor several protected natural areas, especially concerning a bug species listed
\nas endangered. Under these circumstances, the Commission could suspend its
\nfunds. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In turn, current Minister Lucian Bode accused the previous Government of
\nnot submitting an explanation to the European officials in due time, saying the
\nfunding cannot be suspended as the sum hasn’t been disbursed yet. Minister Bode
\nsaid an environment permit for the construction of the motorway was released in
\n2018, adding that 1 in five segments of the motorway, linking Sibiu to Boita,
\nhas a signed contract, with construction works due to start in spring. Segments
\n4 and 5 are in the evaluation or challenge phase, while segments 2 and 3 have a
\nmore complex status, considering they are in the mountainous area and are due
\nto be taken up for auction. Lucian Bode pointed out Romania is not the only
\ncountry the Commission has asked for clarifications over large infrastructure
\ngoals, Poland and Bulgaria having received similar requests.<\/p>\n
\n
<\/p>\n
(Translated by V. Palcu) <\/p>\n
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The project to build the Sibiu-Pitesti motorway will continue, and the Romanian authorities will submit all clarifications to the European Commission in due time, Transport Minister Lucian Bode said<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":79071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37738],"tags":[37121,39858,32505,30140,39857],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-84312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-today-in-the-news","tag-lucian-bode","tag-pitesti-sibiu-motorway","tag-razvan-cuc","tag-the-european-commission","tag-transport-ministry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n