Gratian Mihailescu, AER expert on regionalisation issues, was invited at Adevarul live to comment latests statements of Romanian prime minister Dacian Ciolos regarding decentralisation and reform of public administration.

The Romanian government is concerned about three main aspects:

1. a) fragmentation at decision level of local government, especially in rural areas, but also at regional level
2. b) serious problems of coordination and integration of various development programs financed from national funds or European at all levels: local, county, regional, national.
3. c) financial resources available to local government: their low incomes and the fact that majority of local authorities rely almost exclusively on funds transferred from center authorities (taking into account the political color of the mayor or president of the county)

Regarding the debate of the regionalization there are 3-4 types of alternatives which could be the starting point of the debate.

1. Association between different counties in order to develop projects
2. Establishing 8 administrative regions (established on structure of NUTS 2 development regions) as a third level, maintaining the intermediate level – county councils.
3. 8 administrative regions without 42 counties
4. Smaller administrative regions (15-18), created by the merger of 2-3 counties based on socio-economic criteria

Mr Mihailescu explained in the TV show that the technocrats government led by prime-minister Ciolos made this decentralization/regionalization proposals which should be implemented by political class, after the elections (local, national) from 2016.

Watch the interview here.