Pislaru: Final decision on payment request No. 3 under the PNRR—we have recovered 350.7 million euros of the suspended funds

Romania recovered almost 351 million euro from the sums initially suspended associated to the payment request no.3 of PNRR but it loses almost 450 million euros due to the delayed, incomplete or done poorly  reforms,  announced on Friday the minister for investments and European projects, Dragos Pislaru on Facebook. 'Last night, we received the European Commission’s assessment regarding payment claim No. 3 under the PNRR. It is one of the most challenging payment claims Romania has faced to date. Romania submitted this claim on December 15, 2023. The reforms included in CP3 were supposed to have already been properly implemented at the time of submission. Subsequently, in May 2025, the European Commission decided to partially suspend certain payments because several reforms had not been satisfactorily implemented. Romania then had a period to make corrections and submitted additional justifications on November 28, 2025. Unfortunately, the Commission decided that four key milestones had not been properly addressed,” the minister noted. He noted that, since June 23, when he assumed the role of Minister for European Funds, he has used all formal and informal channels to recover as much of the suspended funds as possible, engaging in technical discussions, clarifications, negotiations, coordination with the relevant institutions, and constant dialogue with the European Commission.'It was a sustained effort, carried out in collaboration with technical experts from the ministry, thanks to which we managed to recover 350.7 million euros—funds that had initially been suspended. The most significant victory in CP3 concerns special pensions. Here, out of the 231 million euros initially suspended, Romania is recovering 166 million euros. It was a difficult case, which faced six postponements at the Constitutional Court, causing the deadline agreed upon with the Commission to be significantly exceeded. Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s direct involvement in this matter was decisive. Thus, the European Commission confirmed that, through Law No. 24/2026, Romania meets the requirements for this milestone," explained the head of MIPE. The second major case involves AMEPIP and the governance of state-owned companies, where 132 million euros were recovered. 'We are talking about the institution responsible for ensuring that state-owned companies are managed professionally, transparently, and based on performance criteria—not on connections or political interests. Here, we managed to recover 132 million euros, and Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu’s contribution was essential in driving this reform forward and saving European funds,’ wrote Pislaru. Regarding the third milestone, which concerns state-owned energy companies, Romania stands to lose 180 million euros and recoup 48 million euros.   'The third milestone concerns state-owned energy companies. We are talking about large companies that are important to Romania’s economy: Hidroelectrica, Romgaz, Nuclearelectrica, and others. The European Commission identified serious issues in how people were selected and appointed to the boards of directors: political appointments, unclear procedures, incorrectly applied criteria, incomplete terms of office, or the lack of performance indicators. For this milestone, Romania loses 180 million euros and recovers 48 million euros,' stated the Minister of Investments.   At the fourth milestone, concerning state-owned transportation companies, the amounts recovered total 4.5 million euros, while the losses amount to 15.4 million euros.   'The fourth milestone concerns state-owned transportation companies—CNAIR, CNIR, CFR, Metrorex, and CFR C?l?tori. Here, too, the problem is the same: the state had to demonstrate that these companies are led by individuals selected transparently, competitively, and based on competence criteria. The Commission found that some procedures were not completed, that there were conflicts of interest, and that some appointments did not meet the required standards. Here we are losing 15.4 million euros, and we have managed to recover 4.5 million euros. In short: where there was political will, as was the case with special pensions, Romania recovered a large portion of the allocated funds. However, where reforms have been postponed for years on end, particularly in the area of state-owned companies, Romania has lost substantial sums. You cannot claim European funds and, at the same time, continue to appoint the party’s ‘smart guys’ to the management of state-owned companies. You cannot ask for trust from Brussels while, in Bucharest, you merely pretend to select based on professional criteria,” the minister stated.