EC's Gauer: It is essential that 2024 be used to accelerate implementation of National Recovery and Resilience Plan

The payment request #3 of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan is delayed compared to the stage we should be at and it is essential that 2024 is used to accelerate the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Celine Gauer, SG RECOVER Director General, said on Wednesday at the Annual Conference on PNRR implementation.As for the recovery, Romania, just like the other countries, shows that the recovery worked well, quickly, a positive aspect. The plan, if we look, addresses all the main challenges for the country. The plan, the design of the plan was very good . But what we see now and this is my main message this morning, we are at a crossroads: 2024 is an absolutely essential year for the country. A year that will determine the success or failure of the country. I said that we have repaid 9 billion (euros, ed. n.) for Romania and it is true, but we have to see what Romania has achieved with these funds. We were talking about 2.6 billion (euros, idem). Many payments were pre-financing, the payment was made, but on the condition that all the plan must be implemented, otherwise the money will be returned. So, yes, it's good, it supports the economy, but beware, because the condition is to complete the implementation of the plan. And how is it going?! We've reached payment request number three, it's good, but in fact it is delayed compared to the stage in which we should be and it is essential that we use 2024 to speed up this implementation, Celine Gauer, DG of SG RECOVER - Task Force for Recovery and Resilience within the General Secretariat of the European Commission, said.Now, if we talk about reforms, we have seen very important reforms adopted: anti-corruption, energy, absolutely essential. Important, they must be maintained over time. But what do we have in front of us? Essential reforms, especially in the fiscal field. Romania is in a situation of excessive deficit, which will not disappear. And the panel on fiscal issues will elaborate. So this problem, a challenge for the country, will not disappear, it will be there, it must be addressed and the reforms included in the tax reform plan, which are planned this year, must be categorically to address these problems," Celine Gauer stressed.She added that the fiscal situation must be resolved, and in the case of state companies, proper governance is necessary and there will be no extensions.Gauer said that any payment request that was not sent until August 2026, respectively in 29 months, any milestone and target that were not achieved until August 2026 will translate into a loss for Romania and our country may even return certain funds.It is not about one government or another, it is a matter that concerns the whole country. It is important for everyone. That is why this event is so important because the interested parties will hear about the progress made. We have all relevant ministries present. I can assure you that the Commission will be on your side throughout this process. We know it's difficult, we know it's an election year, we know there are challenges, and we'll do everything we can to help you. But, in essence, the success or failure of this instrument depends on you and we all want it to be successful, because it is very important for the country, because these challenges addressed in the Plan are the country's challenges and they must be solved, Celine Gauer said.