Burnete: In the next 2-3 years, EU funds are key; recession looms if we don't bring every euro into the country

The European funds are the key for the Romanian economy, for the next two or three years, existing the risk of recession unless every euro is absorbed, stated on Wednesday the executive manager of Concordia Employers’ Confederation, Radu Burnete, within a specialised event.'In the next two to three years, European funds are absolutely key for Romania's economy. Please believe me that if we don't bring every single euro into the country, recession is on our doorstep. You see how the economy is slowing down, we all know the deficit situation. In fact, we cannot afford that projects financed by European funds pass through the national budget or that we do not absorb money. I think this is the most important message I want to leave you with, especially as we are in the Romanian Parliament. There will be some stability here, even if we expect to see scenarios of government instability in the coming period. I believe that you have both the possibility and the obligation to make sure that you do everything you can to ensure that these funds continue to flow into Romania', said Mr Radu Burnete, at the round table on 'The challenges of the future Multiannual Financial Framework for the Romanian business environment'. He said that bureaucracy represents one of the issue for the absorption of European funds.'If we don't manage to absorb very much, what claims can we raise in 2027? Brussels will say: 'We can't give you any more. The European Commission is coming with some flexibility mechanisms, but we have to do our homework at home first. (...) I want to leave you with the essence of our message. The problem we have in Romania today, in terms of bureaucracy, is that we do not check the results. We want to check every hour worked, which is nonsense. We have to give some money, to make sure that it is not stolen, but that it is spent correctly, but to check that the contractor or the public administrator has done what he said he was going to do. Whether he did it in a hundred hours or in four hundred hours or however he did it is less relevant for Romania. We have to check the result and that is a very difficult change of mentality. Because it has to take place both at the audit authority and at the managing authority and intermediary bodies', added the executive director of the Concordia Employers' Confederation.   In his opinion, if this change of philosophy does not take place, we will never be able to increase the absorption speed for the European funds.'I believe that you, senators and deputies, have the political weight to use in relation to these institutions and to give this message. My brothers, check the result, not every paper out there! There are many anti-fraud mechanisms. We have artificial intelligence. You can use the data it collects. And I think that's important. I'll give you two examples because we also happen to have administered a small project on European funds (...) We sign like crazy. I sign papers by hand, and then I have to sign them qualified. And when I sign them, I'm told: You see, put the qualified signature next to your name. It is madness - and I am only giving you this example because it is a small one, but it is the image of a mentality that has actually become part of the genetics of these institutions. We all know why it got there. Because we have a sad history with a lot of public funds, but we should not be self-sabotage. This is the main message I want to leave you with: we have extraordinary entrepreneurs in this country and companies that have shown that they can do sensational things with private money. Let's allocate them money, let's check that they do what they say they do, but otherwise let them find the best economic solution for what they have to do', added Mr Burnete. The event ‘ The challenges of the future Multiannual Financial Framework on the Romanian business environment’ is organized by the Commission for European Affairs in the Senate, in collaboration with the Concordia Employers’ Confederation and the Romanian Business Leaders.