The Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEDAT) has published the procedure for implementing the Programme for Strengthening SMEs through Improved Access to Financing - SME Eco-Tech, carried out within a project financed by the second Swiss contribution for Romania.According to a press release from the Ministry, the programme's budget is 288.8 million lei, of which 70% represents the Swiss contribution (202.2 million lei) and 30% MEDAT's own contribution from the state budget (86.6 million lei).The institution will thus provide new financial support for the development of the local business environment, with the general objective of the green and digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Romanian manufacturing industry, with the aim of improving their environmental footprint, thus aligning with the relevant objective of the European Union to mitigate or adapt to climate change.The "Programme for Strengthening SMEs through Improved Access to Finance - SME Eco-Tech" is to be launched in the second half of 2025, after, according to the provisions of the implementation agreement, MEDAT will prepare the necessary IT infrastructure and conclude the partnership with the credit institutions interested in implementing this new programme.The programme will be managed and implemented by MEDAT, as Programme Operator, in partnership with the selected credit institutions, until May 31, 2029, providing a broad horizon for the development and consolidation of the SME sector in Romania.The programme will be implemented based on a de minimis aid scheme, which aims to provide financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises carrying out production activities (section C of the nomenclature of economic activities), except for those excluded from financing by national and European regulations in force.The financial support offered to SMEs under this Programme consists of a grant at a maximum level of 40%, but not more than 50,000 CHF (equivalent in lei) of the eligible expenses related to an investment project in equipment / technologies / solutions / systems / specific to energy saving, which uses or generates renewable energy, in collection, recycling, reuse equipment, as well as in other conventional technological equipment.A minimum of 60% of the eligible expenses related to the investment project, but not less than 75,000 Swiss francs (equivalent in lei), will be provided by the beneficiaries through a bank loan obtained from partner credit institutions, under advantageous market conditions and through the programme.
Participation in cultural education activities continues to be limited, with the main barriers being difficult access, insufficient knowledge, and cost, the recently released Cultural Consumption Barometer 2024 shows. The report showed that many Romanians still associate culture with entertainment rather than with personal development or furthering their knowledge. The need for relaxation dominates in cultural […]
Roughly 84% of Romanians say that the pace of the state’s digitalization is slow or very slow, according to an Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presented at the Digital Governance Summit 2025, which took place on Tuesday, November 25, at the presidential palace in Bucharest. The survey aims to capture the way citizens relate to […]
Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) issued a negative opinion on the new bill regarding magistrates’ pensions. The move is only the latest development concerning a heated issue that led to tensions between the executive and the judiciary branch. CSM’s opinion is consultative, and the government led by Ilie Bolojan can still take responsibility for […]
Romania took the presidency of the Central European Initiative (or CEI) on Wednesday, November 26, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The organization is a regional intergovernmental forum established in 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. It gathers 17 Member States in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe […]
Trade between Romania and Poland continues to grow, with annual bilateral exchanges in goods now valued at more than EUR 12 billion, according to figures presented by the Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PRBCC). The data was released during a reception in Bucharest marking Poland’s Independence Day and Romania’s National Day. Polish investments […]
As Romania moves closer to implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, local employers are preparing for one of the most consequential shifts in workplace regulation in over a decade. The directive, set for transposition by June 2026, introduces strict new rules on salary disclosure, pay reporting, and equal-pay verification, aiming to close persistent gender gaps […]
