EU funds disappear in Romanian swamp

The EU Commission on Tuesday put the money from the European Social Fund earmarked for Romania on ice after auditors pointed to irregularities in the state administration of project funds. Those who want to use the money for reasonable projects have no chance against organised corruption, writes Elena Vijulie in the blog portal Voxpublica: "The experts at the state agencies and authorities are afraid to address the failings. Some think that if they protest they will never receive the money for their projects. Others fear for their jobs. There is a direct link between the fears and silence of the project heads and other experts on the one hand and the incompetence, corruption and above all the maliciousness and blindness of their state bosses on the other. ... In other, more developed countries, five percent of project costs are generally charged as expenses. But here in Romania the bosses want the whole bundle, and even now - at the eleventh hour - they still believe they won't have to answer for their behaviour."

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