Dragoș Pîslaru on special pensions and EU funds: „I have reserved optimism”

Romania is awaiting the European Commission’s decision on special pensions and PNRR funds. The authorities are close to completing negotiations to unblock around 3 billion euros.

The Minister of European Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru, stated on Thursday afternoon, at the end of the government meeting, that Romania is still awaiting the European Commission’s decision on the milestone related to special pensions and payment requests from PNRR.

Asked about the status of this milestone, Dragoș Pîslaru announced that there are ongoing discussions and an opening from Brussels, but without a final verdict.

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„As I told you, I have reserved optimism regarding the payment that the Commission will decide to make on this milestone. I agreed with the European Commission that they will look constructively at the arguments that Romania has put on the table”, the minister said.

He explained that the delay in the decision is related to the fact that the assessment no longer concerns only one payment request, but two, analyzed together.

“The reason why we do not yet have the final verdict on payment request 3 is that, once we have also submitted payment request 4, the European Commission would like the approval decision in the Council to be on both requests cumulatively. Although there is a preliminary analysis on payment request 3, which is not yet public, the Commission wants to announce how Romania stands on both requests 3 and 4.”

Pîslaru also added that one of the main difficulties is related to the bureaucratic side and the supporting documents on this issue.

“On payment request 4, and this is a very important lesson, one is that you complete the investment and another is that you provide the supporting documents. There was a whole exchange of Excels and explanations that we had to provide in order to structure the evidence on implementation,” said the minister.

He also stated that Romania is now in the final stage of technical clarifications with European officials.

“We are now on the last hundred meters, after I don’t know how many exchanges, in which we have the last adjustments or clarifications to the Commission. There was a delay also because of the Easter period, but now the Commission is back on the barricades and we are working to finalize the technical part.”

The result will be favorable, and the funds will reach Romania as soon as possible, Pîslaru also declared.

“Then we will see payment requests 3 and 4 approved, discussing an amount of about 3 billion euros that Romania hopes to see coming to the country as soon as possible.”