Grindeanu says Gov't will request European Commission funds for improvement of penitentiaries

rime Minister Sorin Grindeanu stated, on Saturday evening, that the Government of Romania will officially send the European Commission a request to access European funds to use for the renovation and improvement of penitentiaries, acording agerpres.

"I want to say something else, regarding European funds, a matter that I found out there (e.n. - during the visit that he had in Brussels at the end of the week). The former Government was offered the possibility to use European funds, to access European funds, in order to improve or renovate penitentiaries. This was said by the European Commission, it was refused (e.n. - by the former Government). This week, and you will see concretely this matter, we will officially send, on behalf of the Government of Romania, to the European Commission a request through which we say that we wish to access funds of this type, and then we will move, if I can say so, very fast, so that we may access these funds. This information I received in Brussels, from officials," Grindeanu said at private broadcaster Realitatea TV. 

He added that it is the Executive's duty to do these things, and that 22 billion lei, the amount inscribed in this year's budget as European funds attraction is ambitious, "compared to zero", the absorption of last year.