Csaba Sógor: The development of the Hungarian communities in Romania is our common mission
An informational forum was organised on Thursday, the 9th of April, on rural development with European funds in Satu-Mare. The participants discussed the upcoming calls for projects available for local administrations from the Agriculture and Rural Development Fund. The event was organised by MEP Csaba Sógor and the Satu-Mare County organisation of the RMDSZ in partnership with RegioConsult Investment and Management Advisory Company.
In his opening speech Csaba Sógor painted out: we are at the planning stage, when local administrations ought to list their priorities in development and should prepare to attract the necessary funds available to them within the European Union’s 2014-2020 financial frameworks.
Expert Szabolcs Ilyés talked about the statistics of the 2007-2013 frameworks, pointing out that Romania managed to attract 80% of the Agriculture and Rural Development Fund, financing over 3,800 km of municipal roads and 1600 km of forest roads, respectively. 2.900 km water ducts and 4.345 km of sewerage systems have been also improved with these funds in the country. Projects should be finished by the end of September 2015, otherwise the funds will be lost.“Although on an EU level, the funds available for agriculture are decreasing, the budget allocated for Romanian agriculture is increasing. The calls for applications are expected to be the same as they were, but funds for fruit production will also be introduced” – emphasized Szabolcs Ilyés.
Head of the Satu-Mare County Rural Investment Financing Agency, Lóránd Magyar also attended the event and spoke about his experiences with the Agriculture and Rural Development Fund as well as about local specificities and the changes that are to be expected. According to him Satu-Mare County should focus on field roads and the renovation of roads that could ease the traffic in the county, since these projects are more likely to gain funding.
Summing up the event, RMDSZ MEP Csaba Sógor said that there are very good examples where counties have worked together to implement investments, which could not have been accomplished by one county alone, emphasising the need for sub-regional projects. The MEP stressed that it might be the last chance for Romania to catch up using the resources available in the 2014-2020 framework, and the local administrations lead by Hungarians cannot fall behind in this process. It is therefore very important that they prepare in the planning stage by mapping out the opportunities and later proceed to apply for the available funds.
