Situatie dezastruoasa la fondurile europene: Comisia Europeana cere corectii de 25% pe proiectele POSDRU si un nou audit la inceputul lui 2013. Plus: starea implementarii programelor din Romania este "deplorabila"

Auditul realizat de Comisia Europeana in noiembrie referitor la Programul Operational Sectorial Dezvoltarea Resurselor Umane (POSDRU) a fost neconcludent si va fi reluat in primul trimestru din 2013, se arata intr-o scrisoare oficiala remisa ministrilor Leonard Orban si Mariana Campeanu. Oficialii Comisiei arata ca deblocarea POSDRU, anuntata cu citeva zile in urma de premierul Victor Ponta, va fi dublata de corectii financiare de 25% din valoarea proiectelor.

• Intr-o scrisoarea separata transmisa de comisarul european Johannes Hahn lui Leonard Orban, oficialul european spune ca nu este posibil ca salariile de baza ale angajatilor din Autoritatile de Management sa fie suplimentate cu bani din Fondul European de Dezvoltare Regionala (FEDR) si califica starea implementarii programelor din Romania drept „deplorabila„.

„Autoritatile romane sa trimita inainte de 15 decembrie 2012, o cerere de plata care sa includa o suma corectata, corespunzatoare cu 25% din cheltuielile declarate catre Comisie, din care ar trebui deduse aproximativ 30 de milioane de euro retinute deja de autoritatile romane. As dori sa va atrag atentia asupra Articolului 101 din Regula 1083/2006, care impune autoritatilor nationale obligatia de a urmari recuperarea sumelor neeligibile de la beneficiarii finali. Sumele deja recuperate pot fi deduse din rata medie de corectie de 25%”, se arata in scrisoarea semnata de Koos Richelle, directorul general al DG Ocuparea Fortei de Munca, Afaceri Sociale si Incluziune din cadrul Comisiei Europene.

Reamintim ca premierul Victor Ponta a anuntat ca Guvernul a primit, luni, in mod oficial, scrisoarea privind deblocarea POSDRU. Marti, in sedinta de Guvern, executivul a aprobat marti un memorandum privind aplicarea de corectii financiare in cadrul POSDRU. Autoritatea de Management POSDRU a propus urmatoarele masuri, potrivit Agerpres:

– pentru cererile de rambursare care nu au fost verificate in conformitate cu prevederile Instructiunii 62 si a noilor proceduri va trebui aplicata o corectie de 25% (suma estimata este de 75.002.000 euro)

– pentru cererile de rambursare care au fost si vor fi verificate conform prevederilor Instructiunii 62 si a procedurilor modificate, se va aplica o corectie temporara de 25% sau neincluderea in declaratiile de cheltuieli transmise catre Comisia Europeana a sumelor aferente acestor cheltuieli de rambursare pana la misiunea de audit a CE, programata in martie-aprilie 2013 (suma estimata este de 123.000.000 euro).

Miercuri, un grup de beneficiari POSDRU (Academia de Advocacy) a solicitat Guvernului printr-un comunicat de presa prezentarea stadiului actual al programului POSDRU la data predarii mandatului catre noul Guvern, precum si prezentarea masurilor angajate in relatia cu Comisia Europeana, reiesite in urma auditului finalizat in perioada 19-23 noiembrie 2012. Mai mult, beneficiarii au cerut si emiterea unei scrisori de garantie guvernamentala/proiect, in limita a 10% din valoarea contractata, ca solutie de deblocare financiara rapida a proiectelor in derulare, evidentiate istoric cu risc minim de implementare.

Citeste mai jos scrisoarea integrala a Comisiei Europene catre Guvern (Lb. Engleza):

During the follow-up audit that took place between 19 and 23 November 2012, the auditors from DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion were able to observe significant improvements in key control requirements, bolh at the level of the Managing Authority and the Certifying Authority.

In this context, I would like to commend the Romanian authorities for the significant changes which they have introduced in a short time-span and I am well aware of the considerable efforts involved.

However, given the very limited number of reimbursement requests which have been processed on the basis of the improved procedures (the so-called „Instruction 62”), it is too early to obtain assurance on the effectiveness of management verifications. Another audit mission will therefore be neccssary, once there is sufficiently auditable evidence to assess the effectiveness of the improved procedures for management verifications. It is foreseen to conduct this mission in the first quarter of 2013.

The expenditure certified to the Commission needs to be corrected with the agreed flat rate financial correction of 25%, based on expenditure declared to the Commission since the start of the programming period. In order to proceed through withdrawal and replacement of operations as allowed by Article 98 (2), I would like to ask the Romanian authorities to submit before 15 December 2012 a payment claim including a corrected amount corresponding to 25% of the expenditure declared to the Commission, of which around EUR 30 million already withheld by the Romanian authorities should be deducted.

I would like to bring to your attention art. 101 of Regulation no. 1083/2006 that imposes upon national authorities the obligation to pursue recoveries of ineligible amounts from final beneficiaries. Amounts already recovered can be deducted from the 25% flat rate correction.

Lastly, we strongly suggest that the Romanian authorities submit a separate payment claim at a later stage but before end December 2012, covering to the extent possible the amounts which would otherwise need to be de-committed. This further payment claim should also include a 25% flat rate financial correction on the expenditure declared to the Certifying Authority. Payment of this second claim (and subsequent claims) should take place once the positive impact of the above-mentioned system improvements is confirmed. The clear progress made gives us good hope that this can be done shortly after the envisaged audit.

I am confident that, thanks to the efforts of the relevant Romanian authorities and your personal involvement, the current difficulties may be overcome.