Leonard Orban, presidential adviser: Romania is likely to receive less money from the EU

Most likely, Romania will get less money from the EU in the multiannual financial framework after 2020, considering that the budget will decrease by almost 13 percent due to Brexit, Leonard Orban, presidential adviser on European Affairs stated on Monday in a conference organized by the European Institute of Romania (IER) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Moreover, the net contributing countries will want a decrease of the amounts allocated, and the negotiations will be tougher than those for the 2014-2020 program, when they held “with knives on the table”, Orban warned.

Brexit and the growing problem of migrants, issues which did not exist in previous negotiations for 2014-2020, will put pressure on the post-2020 budget cut.

“Without UK’s contribution, the EU budget will likely drop by almost 13 percent, and the problems already exist for the 2019-2020 period, when a bill of around EUR 50 billion will be paid. Most likely, under these conditions, Romania will receive less money,” Orban warned.

According to him, there will be lower funds for cohesion and rural development, and the conditionalities to be tougher and complicated.

Orban believes that Romania will have to negotiate very tough the post-2020 budget, but will have to present a list of major projects carried out with European money. Presidential adviser believes that the money that Romania can draw in the current program is a great opportunity and it should take all measures to speed up to maximum the absorption process.

Grindeanu Gov’t is counting on attracting EUR 5.2 billion from European funds this year.

EU funds absorption rate estimated for this year by the officials in Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds amounts to about EUR 3 billion, capital.ro informs.