Minister Dragos Pîslaru: “Our goal is to double the all-time high”
Romania aims to make 2026 its strongest year ever in terms of EU funds absorption. Dragoș Pîslaru, Minister of Investments and European Projects, says the country targets at least €15 billion in total EU funding, including €10 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
“Our target for 2026 is to double the historical maximum of EU funds absorption. At least €15 billion invested in hospitals, schools, highways, local infrastructure and economic competitiveness,” the minister said.
Strong acceleration in recent months
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According to the data presented by the minister, the pace of payments has increased significantly. Between January 2021 and June 2025, the average monthly payments amounted to €86.6 million.
Between June and December 2025, this figure rose sharply to €456.2 million per month.
Reimbursements from the European Commission also accelerated, with the monthly average increasing from approximately €54 million to €374 million.
In just six months, Romania accounted for:
- 37% of all payments made under the 2021–2027 financial framework
- 43% of total reimbursements received from the European Commission for the same period
2026, “the Year of the PNRR”
The minister stressed that, by mid-2025, the PNRR was in a critical situation, with blocked negotiations and suspended payment requests. By the end of the year, execution increased from €6.8 billion to €9.7 billion, and Payment Request No. 4, worth €2.62 billion, was submitted after the plan was renegotiated.
For 2026, the Ministry of Investments and European Projects plans to launch all remaining calls and attract more than €5 billion from cohesion funds alone, while simultaneously preparing the transition to the 2028–2034 financial framework, where Romania aims to secure over €60 billion in non-reimbursable EU funds.
Photo:Jurnalul
