Brussels, 27/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - Corina Cretu, the European commissioner for regional policy, aims to remain confident about the absorption of the European funds programmed for the period 2007-2013.
“My role is to remain optimistic until the end of December 2015”, she told a group of journalists on 24 March. She went on to stress that this question was a matter for the “responsibility of the member states”.
In November 2014, Cretu launched a task force to help the eight countries which have struggled the most to absorb their money: Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Italy. In this framework, these states have been asked to put together a specific action plan. Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and Italy's plans are still being examined by the competent services of the Commission. Those of Croatia and Slovenia have already been approved. Finally, Hungary has not yet presented its draft plan to the Commission.
The Commissioner was in Slovakia on 26 and 27 March 2015, where she met members of the bodies involved in the management of the European funds to discuss the Slovakian action plan. (Jean Comte)