Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has announced that at a meeting on Tuesday at the Government House, “important steps” were set for the completion of an aid scheme for large strategic investment in the manufacturing industry and another one that is the basis of the support programme for Romania’s large industries – metallurgy, steel and chemicals.
“The first component of the plan for strategic investment in the manufacturing industry involves a state-aid scheme of EUR 500 million and tax incentives for investment projects in excess of EUR 150 million that directly create at least 250 jobs and develops in regions with a per-capita GDP below the national average. The second component of the industrial plan is the national support programme for large industries in Romania – a six-year state aid scheme of EUR 1 billion for the decarbonisation of production processes and energy efficiency,” Ciolacu wrote in a social media post.
According to him, an estimated 30 metallurgical and chemicals companies will receive support of up to EUR 100 million per beneficiary.
“There are companies that will implement investments of eligible costs of at least EUR 8 million that which reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions from industrial facilities by 40% and/or reduce energy consumption in industrial facilities by at least 20% in relation to the supported activities. Funds for the state aid scheme come mainly from the sale of greenhouse gas emission certificates related, and the investment has to stay in place for five years from the date of its completion,” said Ciolacu.
He added that a third component of the plan involves a state aid scheme of RON 1.25 billion for 15 companies that implement investment in the production of industrial raw materials.
“These three support programmes are in line with the measures proposed in the Draghi Plan to increase the industrial competitiveness of the European economy. The three aid schemes mean increasing industrial production and GDP through investments, narrowing the trade balance deficit, creating new well-paid jobs, as well as decarbonising production processes and increasing energy efficiency,” Ciolacu said.
A meeting of the governing coalition was held on Tuesday at the Government House attended by national leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) Nicolae Ciuca, the party’s secretary general, Lucian Bode, and PNL leaders Rares Bogdan, Dan Motreanu and Alina Gorghiu.
On behalf of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), in addition to the prime minister, there were PSD leaders Sorin Grindeanu and Alfred Simonis, among others (EUR 1 = RON 1.47).