UPDATE Marmosim, the company where the economy minister owns majority of shares, gives up applying for European funds

UPDATE Marmosim, the companies that processes marble, with the largest share package owned by Romanian Economy minister Adriean Videanu, gives up applying for European funds, Videanu announces. The decision was taken after critics in the press. Videanu said to wanted to avoid any critique. „Think about the objectivity, in quotation marks, on this issue”, the minister added.

UPDATE Videanu claims he did not know the company’s management decision to get European funds. „As a shareholder, I decided to not allow Marmosim’s management to apply for European funds. This was a managerial decision, taken without my knowledge”, the minister added.

Regional Development Commissioner Johaness Hahn responded to Romanian Economy minister Adriean Videanu’s letter by informing him that he could not combine his minister quality with that of the owner of a company accessing European funds, EU sources declared for Romanian news agency Mediafax.

„Commissioner Hahn answered minister Videanu. He told him that in principle the two could not combine. But this is not about Mr. Videanu’s situation in particular, but it includes anyone that could find themselves in such a situation”, the quoted sources said.

Romanian Economy minister Adriean Videanu sent European regional Development commissioner Johaness Hahn a letter on April 22, asking his opinion on his company Marmosim contracting EU funds.

The Economy, Commerce and Business Environment Ministry is the management authority of a productive investment European programme for big companies, run through the Sector Operational programme „Increasing Economic Competitiveness”. Marmosim’s leadership wanted to include the company in the programme, the letter posted by the Economy Ministry on the site indicates.

„The circumstances that i want to bring to your attention are connected with the fact that Marmosim intends to apply for registration with the programme, while I, as individual, am the owner / major share holder of this company”, Videanu writes. He mentioned he was waiting for Hahn’s opinion, due to the „sensitive connotations” of this issue and he noted that he wanted to avoid any subsequent problem „of any nature”.

Romanian Economy Ministry read in a communiqué back then that Videanu had been informed by Marmosim’s management that the company intended to apply for European funds through POS-CCE.

The ministry indicated that no company having Videanu as a shareholder submitted any project to contract European money.