Financiarul

The Parliament Palace on Thursday hosted a seminar on the absorption of European funds, which invited Irish MPs, given that Ireland is a successful example in this field as the chairman of the committee on foreign policy said at the opening of the meeting, Titus Corlatean.

‘The issue of accession of EU funds is very important for Romania’s economic development and for overcoming the economic crisis which afflicts us, too.

For Romania, Ireland;’s successful example is interesting and important from the viewpoint of the expertise in drawing funds because according to the number of inhabitants and size, Ireland cannot compare to one of the EU main players,’ said Corlatean.

Corlatean said the absorption of EU funds is not a matter with which the Parliament should deal, however the seminar organised by the Senate is justified by the fact that the MPs are decision- makers and they lobby.

Deputy Michael Woods, chairman of the joint Committee on Foreign Affairs with Ireland’s Parliament said that the secret of his country’s success of absorption of European funds lays in the productive spending of every single euro.

According to Woods, the policy of absorption of EU funds has to be transparent, so that Romanians know exactly how the money is spent.

Attending the event were also Romania’s Ambassador the the Republic of Ireland, Iulian Buga, state secretaries with the Romanian ministries who deal with the accession of European funds: Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Protection – Alexandru Fratean, Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – Maria Barcalabescu, Ministry of Public Finance – Bogdan Dragoi, as well as directors of authorities and ministerial agencies and NGO representatives.