Romania has yet to request approximately 22 billion euro from the European Commission—representing over 70% of its EU allocation for cohesion policy for the 2021–2027 period—by the end of 2029. As of September 30, 2026, the current absorption rate stands at 28.5%, according to the 2026–2028 Governing Program presented by Prime Minister-designate Luca Niculescu.
The document highlights the volume of European funds that must be requested from the Commission in the coming years, as well as the necessity of meeting annual targets to avoid automatic decommitment, reports Agerpres.
“Expenditures are eligible until December 31, 2029. This means that approximately 22 billion euro—over 70% of the EU allocation—must be requested from the Commission within just over three years. Furthermore, annual targets must be met to prevent automatic decommitment,” the program states.
According to the cited source, the 15 programs funded through the 2021–2027 cohesion policy have a total allocation of 41.97 billion euro, of which 30.99 billion euro represents the European Union’s contribution. As of September 30, 2026, payments made to beneficiaries from European funds totaled 11.45 billion euro euros, while the amounts requested from the European Commission reached 8.82 billion euro euros, corresponding to a current absorption rate of 28.5%.
At the same time, reimbursements received from the European Commission totaled 8.52 billion euro euros, while the total amount collected—including pre-financing—reached 11.31 billion euro euros.
Absorption rates vary significantly from one program to another, the cited source notes.
The Transport Program recorded the highest current absorption rate, at 53.4%, while the rates for Sustainable Development and Just Transition stood at 36%, and for Inclusion and Social Dignity at 29.9%.
At the other end of the spectrum, the document indicated an absorption rate of 9.5% for Smart Growth, Digitalization, and Financial Instruments; 14.6% for Health; and 21.4% for Education and Employment.
To accelerate the absorption of European funds, the Government proposes weekly monitoring of the programs, the identification of delayed projects, and the reallocation of funds at risk of not being utilized on time. “At the level of the Ministry of Investments and European Projects (MIPE), we are establishing a weekly monitoring mechanism for all European programs, with a designated person responsible for each bottleneck and a specific deadline for its resolution. Each program has a payment schedule updated on a monthly basis—linked to annual decommitment targets (n+3)—as well as an early-warning system for delayed projects. Programs falling short of their targets are automatically subject to a reallocation procedure; funds that can no longer be utilized in time are redirected toward ‘mature’ (ready-to-implement) projects, without waiting until the decommitment deadline approaches. Major projects in the transport, healthcare, and water/sewerage sectors have dedicated teams tasked with resolving bottlenecks,” the document states.
Furthermore, the program provides for the use of European funds to support public investment, within the framework of fiscal consolidation.
“We are transforming European funds into an instrument for stabilizing and accelerating public investment. We are prioritizing their use for mature projects with a high economic impact—projects that support gross capital formation and productivity growth,” the document notes.
Investment priorities include transport, water and sewerage infrastructure, healthcare, education, digitalization, energy, urban and regional development, and the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).