The provisions of the new Public Procurement Directive should be implemented by the government without delay, while at the same time removing political influence from decision-making.

1. Learn from past mistakes – The experience of the programming period 2007-2013 can provide valuable lessons and best practices for the next generation of EU-financed projects. Unfortunately, as media reports have pointed out, the Romanian government has failed to incorporate these lessons in the draft Partnership Agreement submitted to the European Commission.
2. Capacity-building for beneficiaries – Often times, recipients of EU-funded projects lack technical and managerial expertise. This is particularly obvious in the implementation process, leading to delays and irregularities. Hence, the government should foresee concrete measures to assist beneficiaries in the implementation of EU-funded projects. For example, this can be done through dedicated support desks, manuals and subsidized courses.
3. Improve administrative capacity – in a nutshell, the lack of administrative capacities has been the main cause for the slow implementation of EU-funds so far. Romania has gathered significant expertise in the last 7 years. Yet, the government has to make sure that capacities and in-house expertise are constantly updated in line with the new EU regulations for EU-funds, the Public Procurement Directive and other relevant EU-regulations. This can also be done by devising an effective human resources strategy: hiring quality staff, upgrading the skills of staff members, adequate remuneration. Where in-house expertise is missing, technical expertise should be contracted.
4. Learn from other Member States – Romanian authorities should learn from the experience of EU-countries with more experience in the management of EU-Funds. Tested examples and best practices from countries like Poland, Germany or Ireland can and should be applied in Romania.
5. Simplification – There is no need to overburden management authorities and beneficiaries with excessive paperwork and bureaucratic procedures. They should be reduced to the minimum. The new regulations for Structural and Investment Funds provide for simplification. Experiences of other Member States also constitute a valuable source of information.
6. Information campaigns are vital. Potential beneficiaries of EU Funds, be it public authorities, SMEs or NGOs, should be targeted through information campaigns. This would ensure that good and innovative project ideas get financed. Moreover, if citizens are informed about the financing opportunities for their local community, they will demand action from their mayors, local and county councillors. Bearing this in mind, I have already started an information campaign on the financing opportunities available in the next seven years.
7. Regular monitoring – The implementation of EU funds should be constantly monitored by national authorities and the European Commission. Where implementation is slow, solutions should be quickly identified and applied.
8. Focus on results – Priority should be given to investments and projects that yield significant results and improvements. Authorities should not focus on how fast they spend the funds, but particularly on how EU-funded projects can help reduce inequalities, increase the standard of living and reduce poverty.
9. Invest in transport and social infrastructure – The government should budget sufficient funds for quality road and railway connections, as well as for social infrastructure, like hospitals and schools. Only by investing in high-quality infrastructure can Romania attract foreign investors and reduce access barriers to health and education. The economic and social benefits of investing in infrastructure are countless.
10. Make use of the financing opportunities managed in Brussels – Financing instruments like Life+, Erasmus+ or Horizon2020 are unknown in Romania. Hence, the Romanian government should devise a plan to disseminate information on all EU-financing opportunities and encourage private and public beneficiaries to apply for funding. Synergies between programmes managed in Brussels and Structural Funds must be identified and implemented.

Source: EP Today - A Monthly Newspaper for European Parliament