European Funds Fraud: The Impact on the Process of Absorption of Structural and Cohesion Funds in Romania

Abstract

The increase of the degree of absorption of European funds offered to Romania by the European Union represents one of its main objectives in the present and future situation. One of the main reasons that the funds are so important is the fact that, taking into consideration the microeconomic and macroeconomic situation that Romania is in, it represents an alternative financing mechanism of the economy that Romania can benefit in very advantageous conditions. Even under these conditions Romania- within 2007-2013 period of programming – couldn’t benefit from it by attracting as many structural and cohesion funds as possible, at least in comparison to other member states. In our opinion, that of the authors’ one of the reasons that led to such a low rate of absorption, alongside with the low administrative capacity of the state is the excessive bureaucracy, an inefficient legislative framework which is not harmonized with the European one, the lack of experience in using and administrating of European funds, the beneficiaries’ incapacity to sustain the financial support of the project (to assure the co-financing of the project), a low involvement of Romanian banking institutions in the process of supporting the beneficiaries of European funds. Another cause is the European funds fraud that happened in Romania. In the present article, the authors have decided to analyze the influence of European funds fraud on the degree of absorption of structural and cohesion funds in Romania.

Keywords

• alternative financing mechanisms
• fraud
• grant funds
• degree of absorption
• European Union.
• European Union