Soros Foundation Romania launched, on April 9, 2009, within a debate, “The Local Authorities’ Access to European Funds” research, as part of the “Public Administration Reform” programme.

Between October-November 2008, the Soros Foundation Romania had carried out a sociological research in 4 regions of development (North-East, South-East, West and South-West). The research was designed into two components: a quantitative one, based on auto-completed surveys addressed to all the mayoralties in the 4 development regions – and having a response rate of more than 90%, and the qualitative component, that groups 16 case-studies.

The research monitors local authorities efforts in accessing European funds and identifies the rate of vulnerability and the solutions towards surpassing these problems.

The research’s results show that 26% of the mayoralties had dispatched only one project during the period 2004-2008, for Governmental and pre/ post adhesion European funds, the average for the whole period analyzed being of 2.5. The success’ rate of the application was of 50%, no matter the fund the mayoralties had chosen. Most of the projects are form the South-East region (56.9%), while the majority of the approved projects were dispatched in the West region. At the other pole stands the South West region.

While, in general, the big and medium cities are active in accessing the European funds, the problems appear in the other communities. For the mayoralties in the small towns and rural communities, an adequate access to information rises with 30% the chances of accessing the funds, while the reduced budget decreases with 80% the rate of accessing the funds. However, the authorities that have trained their employees in writing European projects, have with about 55% more chances to access the European funds. The partnerships (with District Councils, other mayoralties, NGOs) increase the chances of accessing the funds with about 60%. A cause of exclusion that should be mentioned is the influence of the political factor.
 
From the analyzed communities, 20% managed to attract about 42% of the assigned funds (during the period of 4 years), these being the most competitive localities. The competitive communities are writing with 2.7 more projects and have with 3.5 more approved projects than the non-competitive ones, a fact that may determine, in time, a growth of development disparities between the communities.

Data collection was made during October-November 2008, under the coordination of Totem Research.

The authors of the research: sociologist Alexandru Toth, economist Cătălin Dărăşteanu and sociologist Daniela Tarnovschi, Program Manager-  the Soros Foundation Romania.

At the debate in 9 April 2009 attended representative of the authorities that administrate the European Funds, presidents of Romanian Municipalities and Towns in Romania, representatives of NGOs and mass-media representatives.

For further details: Laura Husti-Răduleţ, Communications Manager, lhusti-radulet[at]soros[dot]ro, 0733 108 048.