Ciolos: European Commission's approach to PNRR not that of checkbox-ticking evaluator, but of a partner

USR PLUS Co-chairman and leader of the European Parliament's Renew group Dacian Ciolos says that the European Commission's approach to the national recovery and resilience plans will not be that of an evaluator "ticking checkboxes as they verify documents", but that of a partner. The clarifications follow the statement of Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu, who said that the European Commission representatives have made "devastating observations" on the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) submitted by Romania. "I thought that with Dragnea out, PSD will get rid of thievery, but of villainy too. Mr. Ciolacu convinces me that at least villainy remains a value in the 'new' PSD as well. Because I cannot interpret otherwise his tossing around the idea that Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan has been rejected by the European Commission. The last time I spoke with the European Commission President about the national recovery and resilience plans and the assessment evaluation and approval procedures was this week, on Monday. And it's clear to me that the European Commission's approach will not be that of an evaluator ticking checkboxes as they verify documents, but that of a partner to each member state, in order to make sure together that the money borrowed from the EU is invested wisely," Ciolos wrote on Facebook. He also noted that according to the EC, Romania's PNRR has not been rejected and that requests for clarifications are part of the normal negotiation process with member states. Ciolos reproached the PSD representatives that they did not come up with project proposals during "the dozens of area-specific public consultations Minister Cristian Ghinea has held in recent months". Ciolos reminds that Minister of European Investments and Projects Cristian Ghinea was his colleague in the 2016 government and later in the European Parliament, and that he also participated in the elaboration of the European framework for the recovery and resilience fund and is well acquainted with the European institutional environment. "Even though he now has to work with many departments in ministries set under political command and de-professionalised, including by and particularly by the PSD governments, I am convinced that he will get the job done," Ciolos concludes. AGERPRES (RO - author: Irinela Visan, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Simona Klodnischi, editor: Simona Iacob)