“Romania’s Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (LIOP) includes great scope with little resources. Within the programme, there is a EUR 1.7 billion financing for infrastructure projects, and through ERDF, EUR 500 million. These include phased projects, Km 614 – Simeria railway project, as part of Pan-European Corridor IV, and Metrorex projects-the Bucharest metro company. In addition, a EUR 677 million financing is allotted to the modernization of Sighisoara-Cata and Apata-Brasov rail sections that are on Pan-European Corridor IV. For future LIOP projects, there is the need for increased implementation efficiency and well as seeking the additional finance,” Mihai Frumosu, Transport Specialist PJ-Mobility Office Bucharest – EIB, during Innovating with smart railway infrastructures” Forum, organised by Railway PRO and Club Feroviar, on 24-25 February.
Relating to the acute need for increased implementation efficiency, Frumosu explained that for the phased projects, there is the need to improve institutional capacity for implementation and to swift resolve of all outstanding contractual issues. For new projects, Romania need to hold all actions and undertake review of project preparation documents and to remove all potential implementation bottlenecks using lessons learned from SOP-T (Sectoral Operational Programme “Transport”).
Frumosu mentioned that 45% of European Funds lost due to rushed project preparation, rigid and adverse procurement regulation, complex internal procedures and lack of familiarity with EU funded project bureaucracy.
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