Marcel Bolos was recently on a very important visit to Brussels, and this is because the PSD minister met with important representatives of the European Commission to discuss the sums of money offered to Romania as part of the PNRR, for the investments that our country needs both now and in the future.
Marcel Bolos explains below the fact that decisions were made in Brussels aimed at helping Romanians overcome the problems generated by the increase in energy prices, the PSD minister also talking about aid for companies in Romania, or even more than that, serious amounts being offered to the country.
"To avoid the risk of losing European money, Minister Marcel Boloș obtained an agreement in principle from the European Commission for the amounts allocated from the state budget for energy price compensation for SMEs and beneficiaries through the Energy Transition Fund to be settled from EU funds, worth up to 500 million euros.
Minister Marcel Boloș received the agreement in principle for the introduction of exceptional measures for the use of funds to support SMEs particularly affected by the increase in energy prices. The proposed amendment consists in the reimbursement of expenses already incurred/paid through the Ministry of Energy, from the state budget, through the Energy Transition Fund.
To the suppliers of electricity and natural gas on behalf of SMEs, based on the price ceiling scheme established by the Government's Emergency Ordinance no. 27/2022, with subsequent amendments and additions. Thus, by reunifying/reimbursing the sums already paid from the state budget, from European funds, Romania's ability to continue to ensure the sums necessary to cover the additional costs incurred at the enterprise level, as a result of the increase in energy prices.
In this sense, it will be proposed to create a new React-EU priority axis with the Ministry of Energy as the only eligible beneficiary. Under this priority axis, the Ministry of Energy would apply for funding to cover only payments made to energy suppliers on behalf of SMEs under the price capping scheme. Procedural details to be determined with EC representatives.
The budget for the new priority axis will be provided from unused React-EU funds allocated under Priority Axis 10 with risk of disengagement. The EC showed openness regarding the possibility of removing/replacing the 9,4% of GDP with the inclusion of an indexation rule that would be in line with the objectives of financial stability of pension expenses, as a percentage of GDP, conditioning future discussions on the implementation of the two reforms."
