Minister Buzoianu criticizes Romanian Waters for failing to access EUR 350 million for dikes, dams

  Minister of Environment, Waters and Forests Diana Buzoianu has criticized the leadership of the National Administration "Romanian Waters" (ANAR) for failing to access EUR 350 million in National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) funds earmarked for the construction of dikes, dams, and polders."Over EUR 350 million should have been allocated to the construction of dikes, dams, and polders in the Romanian Waters sector. Of the 13 polders initially planned, only one is nearing completion. The original target of 510 kilometers of dikes was later scaled back to 400 - yet not a single kilometer has been built. (...) The European Commission will almost certainly refuse to keep this funding in the program. It's wasted money, lost money. Romania had a historic opportunity, and it slipped through our fingers. We had the chance to act and secure these funds a year ago," the minister said in a Sunday interview with private broadcaster Digi24.Minister Buzoianu added that the director of ANAR should have already resigned and stated she will make a decision regarding his position after the release of the Prime Minister's Control Body report on the situation in Praid flooded salt mine.According to the minister, ANAR is currently paying EUR 54,000 per month in rent for its Bucharest headquarters and intends to purchase a 6,000-square-meter building for its 270 employees, with an estimated price tag of RON 75 million.Diana Buzoianu has requested a full inventory of all real estate managed by institutions under the ministry's authority and plans to assess whether those properties could be better utilized."I was told by Romanian Waters officials that they had a budget of RON 75 million last year to purchase a new headquarters. I was quite taken aback. I explained to them that, in a year when they failed to access a single euro of NRRP funds - losing all money for dikes and dams - it sends the wrong signal to be receiving RON 75 million for real estate. First, let's ensure things are functioning properly and that they're capable of attracting funds," she said.The minister also announced that she had dispatched the Control Body to Romanian Waters last week to investigate staffing structures, the failure to attract EU funds, and how field inspections are carried out."EU funds were not accessed by the Romanian Waters. So, as we now witness communities affected by floods, we must all ask: why haven't we been able to prioritize and implement projects through an institution with over 8,000 employees and sitting on a mountain of money? This is a legitimate question for everyone whose home has been literally destroyed by floods. Why weren't flood-prevention works prioritized?," she concluded.