Cutting budget sector spending, modernizing public administration and a more efficient management of EU funds – Barroso's suggestions to diminish Romania's budget deficit

EC President Jose Manuel Barroso said that talks on Thursday with Romania President Traian Basescu focused on fiscal control and on Romania’s need to modernize its public administration in order to accomplish structural reforms and improve efficiency in EU fund management.

For his part President Basescu informed on the possibility that Romania avoid losing 600 million euro from pre-accession funds and noted that Barroso talked about cutting public sector spending as a means for Romania to reduce its budget deficit.

President Basescu announced he made a request which may lead to a „pleasant surprise” – that of an extension of implementation deadlines for ex-ISPA projects, which would help Romania avoid losing 600 million euro from EU funds. The money was allocated to Romania but was not spent in due time.