Connection to sewerage systems remains very low across large areas of Moldavia, Oltenia and southern Muntenia, with 'systemic gaps' persisting in terms of basic infrastructure, according to a report on the efficiency of central and local public administration prepared by the Prime Minister's Chancellery over the past year, based on 2024 data.

According to the document, this situation affects both quality of life and eligibility for future funding.

'Access to drinking water is widespread, but there are still administrative-territorial units with a low connection rate in the south and east of the country. Selective waste collection services have improved, but the complexity of sorting (biowaste, textiles etc.) remains limited in many rural areas. The number of construction permits clearly reflects economic and demographic dynamics - concentrations around major cities and lack of activity in underdeveloped areas, in some cases with no permits issued at all,' the report reveals.

It also indicates that public intervention through economic aid is 'concentrated' and 'uneven'.

'State aid and de minimis aid paid in 2023 were concentrated in counties with active economies (for example Bucharest, Cluj, Timis and Prahova), but there are also surprising counties (for example Olt) where the allocated value is high, signalling targeted or strategic public interventions. Other counties were completely absent from this mechanism, which may deepen development gaps,' the Government explains in its report.

The document also identifies a series of dysfunctions, including unequal administrative capacity between administrative-territorial units and county councils, not only in attracting funds but also in implementing them, delays in contracting and launching projects, especially regarding the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, as well as areas lacking municipal or investment development - communes without sewerage, running water, construction permits or contracted PNRR or European projects. The localities of Armasesti (Ilfov), Izvoare and Silistea Crucii (Dolj), Mihai Bravu (Giurgiu) and Spermezeu (Bistrita-Nasaud) are mentioned as examples.

In this context, the urgent need for differentiated intervention and administrative support tailored to the actual capacity of each area is highlighted.

'This overview of local development highlights the urgent need for differentiated intervention and administrative support adapted to the real capacity of each area. Public policies and funding must be better aligned with realities on the ground, while infrastructure, investment and environmental indicators must underpin a strategic reconfiguration of local development financing in Romania,' the report shows.

According to the document, the data used were communicated from official sources, including the Ministry of Finance, the National Institute of Statistics, the National Regulatory Authority for Community Services, the Ministry of Investments and European Projects and the Competition Council, although in some cases limitations were identified regarding consistency or synchronisation.

In all cases, the data were processed exclusively in aggregated form, without personally identifiable content, and interpreted in the context of the resident population reported in the 2021 Census. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Anamaria Constantin; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)