Brussels, 17/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - The capacity for absorption of the European structural funds in Romania, and the resumption of programme financing that was earlier suspended were at the centre of the meeting between European Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn and the new Romanian minister for European funds, Eugen Orlando Teodorovici, in Brussels on Wednesday 16 January. Hahn assured Teodorovici of his total confidence for meeting the challenge of the €5 billion that must be absorbed by Bucharest by the end of the year. “It is not in our interest to say at the end of the year that we have saved money. I want to reassure the Romanian people that the EU is at their side”. As for the three operational programmes that are partly suspended at the moment (competitiveness, transport and region), Hahn stated that he was waiting for answers from the Romanian authorities (deadline 13 February), which will then be analysed by Commission staff over the coming weeks. The suspension will then be lifted or confirmed. At this stage, it is therefore still not a question of lost funds for Romania. Hahn said that he hoped to resolve these issues in the common interests of Romania and the EU. (MD/transl.fl)