STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND SUBVENTIONS FOR ROMANIA

PERIOD 2014 2020

THE MAIN FRAME OF OPERATIONS

For Romania, EU funds will continue to be one of the most important tools to be used to

reduce regional disparities and promoting economic growth at regional and local level,

strengthening competitiveness and increase employment, benchmarks at the EU level.

It is recognized that these goals fulfilling are possible by providing a favourable environment

for investments, by establishing of new companies or developing of the existing ones

contributing significantly to the creation of new jobs and generate the added value.

In this context, the use of structural support for the period 2014 - 2020 aims creating

conditions for improvement and steady development of business, with the main objectives:

• Stimulating the competitiveness of enterprises;

• Facilitating access to finance;

• Creating an enabling environment to encourage the creation of new businesses and

entrepreneurial culture;

• Supporting companies to operate abroad and to access new markets;

• Ensuring a skilled and adaptable workforce.

Measures under this challenge will be directed to the following areas:

• Research, technological development and innovation. The proposed interventions

are geared towards supporting innovation in enterprises, as well as capacity building

for excellence in research and innovation and for technological changes. In rural

areas, innovation and the knowledge base will be strengthened through cooperation

between agriculture, food and forestry and other actors, also by creating of clusters

and networks and use of consultancy services

• Information and communications technology. Actions will be aimed at increasing

the capacity of companies to have ICT services and encouraging them to use such

services.

• Competitiveness of SMEs, agriculture and fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

Efforts will be directed towards supporting investment in entrepreneurship, the

commercial exploitation of new ideas and research results by providing business

advisory services as well as supporting the development of online tools. Interventions

to improve the competitiveness of the agricultural sector will help ensure sustainable

food production in the EU and will help to create and preserve jobs and economic

growth in rural areas.

An overview of the operational programs and priorities proposed for funding in next period:

Competitiveness Operational Programme

» Support private investment in research, development and innovation (RDI) and

collaborative research between industry and research organizations to encourage transfer of

knowledge, technology and personnel with advanced expertise to enable the development of

RDI products and services in economic sectors with growth potential;

» Promoting financial instruments aimed at supporting risk private investment in research and

innovation and foster innovative start-ups and spin-offs;

» Infrastructure development of the private and public research, both as part of the existing /

emerging cluster, centres of excellence and other research structures (National / regional /

EU) and the specific areas identified as priorities, based on the existence of a potential and /

or a competitive advantage, such as health, unlocking the potential for excellence in research

and innovation by creating synergies with research, development and innovation of the

framework program Horizon 2020 EU;

» Actions to promote ICT adoption by businesses, including applications and innovation of e-

commerce;

» Actions to develop e-Governance tools for businesses and citizens (e-Government 2.0);

» Actions for "cloud computing” development.

Regional Operational Programme

» Actions to strengthen entrepreneurship and option awareness and potential support for

business creation;

» Actions to improve access to finance, including provision of a wide appropriate financial

instruments;

» Actions to improve productivity of SMEs and providing opportunities for growth, including

strengthening access to support business planning, technical advice, guidance and support for

export;

» Action to join the network of enterprises to strengthen exchanges knowledge and strengthen

their participation in retail chains, including those at the international level;

» Integrated actions - sites, skills, investment support - in order to attract investment in less

developed regions of Romania;

» Rationalization actions of the regulatory and reducing process of the bureaucratic burden on

businesses;

» Development of technology transfer infrastructure in public and private sectors, especially

in less developed regions of Romania, in accordance with the principle of smart

specialization.

National Rural Development Programme

» Creating and providing consulting services to improve economic and environmental

performance;

» Collaboration between agriculture / food industry, forestry, fishing and aquaculture and

food industry systems and consulting, education and research context of pilot projects,

development of products, practices, processes and new technologies etc.;

» Establishment of task forces (farmers, researchers, consultants) who will participate at

European Innovation Partnership “Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability ";

» Actions to improve economic performance and restructuring and modernization of

agriculture, especially to increase the participation and orientation to markets, and diversify

agricultural activities;

» Facilitating generational renewal in the agricultural sector;

» Actions to improve economic performance of the primary producers through a better

integration of them into the food chain by quality programs, adding value to agricultural

products by promoting on local markets through developing short purchasing circuits and

setting up of producer groups, etc.;

» Actions in supporting activities of prevention and risk management in agriculture;

» Creation of new small businesses by providing support for business start for micro and

small enterprises outside the agricultural sector, and activities development of non-agricultural in rural areas.

Maritime and Fisheries Operational Programme

» Investment in aquaculture: new units, upgrading the existing units, species diversification,

improvement the potential aquaculture sites;

» Promoting new sources of income within the sector (processing activities, marketing) and

outside (environmental activities, tourism, education);

» Investment in fishing ports, shelters, jetties, first sales centres;

» Improving the working conditions related to health and safety on board inland fisheries and

sea;

» Support for establishment, organization and operation of chain: manufacturers - processors

- sellers;

» Diversify fisheries and aquaculture sector by supporting the creation of new small

businesses and create jobs in the area.

A key element in the proper functioning of business and entrepreneurship development is to

ensure a skilled and adaptable workforce. Thus it created opportunities for investment in

education and training by both a program dedicated to human capital, and programs for

agriculture sector, and fishery and aquaculture sector .

Operational Programme Human Capital

» Encouraging and facilitating the employers participation in workforce development and lifelong

learning;

» Improved correlation of both vocational and technical education with labour market needs,

ensuring the relevance of the training offer, giving priority to sectors with future potential

growth and promoting the partnerships between statement relevant stakeholders;

» Modernization of tertiary education by developing advanced studies and supporting the

internationalization of higher education, including comprehensive research and mobility;

National Rural Development Programme

» Creating new small businesses by providing support for micro and small enterprise business start

from outside the agricultural industry and the development non - agricultural activities in rural areas;

» Support the training and acquisition of skills in agricultural management, sustainable agriculture

practices, improving the quality and using of new technologies specific to agriculture and forestry;

» Support demonstration activities for the transfer of knowledge about new practices in the

field: information, short-term exchanges and visits within the EU in order to promote exchange of

good practices, encourage lifelong learning and training in generally in rural areas (in addition to

courses or training normally provided in secondary and higher education system), and training in

business management and other skills necessary for diversification outside the agriculture sector.

Maritime and Fisheries Operational Programme

» Diversification of fisheries and aquaculture sector by supporting the creation of new small

businesses and creating jobs in the area;

» Support school infrastructure and resource development in early childhood education and

care, from primary, secondary, tertiary to technical and vocational education in order to

improve the quality of education and training and its relevance for the labour market.

More info frjacobs@telenet.be

www.pbsworldwide.com

www.investromania.be