Romania's New Ministry To Manage EU Fund Coordination, Audit Authorities - Sources

"The new ministry will coordinate ACIS and, probably, the Audit Authority, but not the management authorities, which have projects in progress. You can't change the rules during the game," people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX after the meeting of the inter-ministry committee on European Union fund absorption, led by Prime Minister Emil Boc.

The ministry will represent every government body before the European Commission on matters of EU funds. It will be led by a person with the rank of minister; whom exactly has not yet been decided, the sources said.

ACIS was transferred, this spring, from under the Finance Ministry's coordination to the direct management of the prime minister, to monitor fund absorption. The Authority acts as a national coordinator of EU assistance.

The Audit Authority attached to the Court of Accounts is the only body authorized to conduct external public audits of non-refundable pre-accession funds provided to Romania by the EU through the PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD projects, structural and cohesion funds, the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, the European Agriculture and Rural Development Fund, the European Fishing Fund and funds provided after accession. It is operationally independent from the Court of Accounts and the other authorities in charge of the management of non-refundable community funds.

President Traian Basescu and Boc on Thursday discussed creating a Ministry of European Affairs, to manage projects financed with European Union funds, led by UNPR president Marian Sarbu or former EU commissioner Leonard Orban, according to people close to the issue.

Setting up a ministry is a long procedure, however, which requires the Parliament's approval, the sources said.

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