Brussels preliminarily approves the payment of 2.62 billion euros for Romania from the PNRR
The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday issued a positive preliminary assessment for the fourth payment request submitted by Romania under the PNRR, worth 2.62 billion euros, after the authorities met 38 milestones and 24 targets regarding the reforms and investments assumed.
European Commission/PHOTO: Pixabay
“This important step concerns the provision of funds related to the respective payment request, supporting sustainable forest management, decarbonisation of the transport and energy sectors, tax administration, public pensions, health infrastructure as well as social infrastructure for people with disabilities.
Also, these funds are intended to strengthen the decision-making process at the government level, promote digitalization, improve the efficiency of the justice system, strengthen the fight against corruption and support the development of the education system”, sends the European Commission in a press release.
The EC declares that Romania has satisfactorily achieved the 38 milestones and 24 targets set out in the Council's implementing decision.
The main measures included in the payment request aim at digitizing the administration by developing digital government infrastructure, accelerating the green transition by reducing dependence on coal and taxing polluting vehicles more, as well as reforming the tax system to increase efficiency and reduce red tape.
“The Commission sent the Economic and Financial Committee (CEF) its preliminary assessment of Romania's fulfillment of the milestones and targets necessary for this payment, with the CEF having four weeks to issue an opinion.
The payment to Romania can take place following the opinion of the CEF and the subsequent adoption of a payment decision by the Commission”, add EC.
Romania submitted the fourth payment request from the PNRR in December 2025. The plan, financed with over 21 billion euros through the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, aims at reforms and investments to modernize the economy and support the green and digital transition.
If the payment is approved, the funds received by Romania through the PNRR will reach almost 13 billion euros, representing over 60% of the total allocated. Member States must complete all reforms and investments by 2026 to fully access the available money.
Bolojan announces urgent interventions at the Ministry of Energy
Also, interim Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan announced a series of urgent measures to speed up payments and complete investments financed from European funds, warning that Romania risks losing significant amounts from the PNRR if the delays are not recovered by the end of August.
Bolojan, who also holds the position of interim Minister of Energy, stated that, immediately after taking over the interim, he requested a complete analysis of the status of investment projects, including the status of payments made and pending requests.
“We saw that we have money, we have projects, but we have blockages and problems that delay the works”, he wrote on Facebook.
According to the interim prime minister, in the first four months of the year, only 60 million euros were paid from the PNRR funds, while another 135 million euros are blocked in 82 unprocessed payment requests, many of which were submitted since last year and some from 2024.
