Romania has wrapped up the renegotiation of its National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), securing a more favourable financing structure. The revised plan reduces reliance on loans by nearly €7 billion while unlocking additional non-reimbursable EU funds for crucial projects such as the A7 motorway and healthcare infrastructure.

According to Minister of Investments and European Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru, the renegotiated PNRR maintains the full €13.57 billion in grants and trims the loan component to €8.01 billion (from the originally allocated €15 billion). This adjustment reflects Romania’s current fiscal capacity and aims to ease pressure on the national budget.

Key Outcomes of the PNRR Revision

• €2.15 billion reallocated to the A7 motorway: Five segments of the Moldavia A7 will now be grant-funded, including the full Focșani–Bacău section (three lots) and two from Bacău–Pașcani.
• Healthcare investments expanded: In addition to the existing five hospitals (Cluj, Craiova, Bistrița, Ilfov, Sibiu), three new facilities will be funded:
  • Zerlendi Tuberculosis Centre (Bucharest)
  • Saint Apostle Andrew Emergency Hospital (Constanța)
  • Târgu Mureș Cardiovascular Institute (“Heart Hospital”)
    Total funding for hospital projects now stands at €535 million.
• Ambulance upgrades: €83.6 million will provide 1,200 new ambulances across the country.
• Investment and Development Bank: Receives €100 million for capitalisation.
• Energy efficiency: €1.66 billion shifted from loans to grants to support residential and public building renovations.
• Other strategic investments include:
  • €400 million for water and sewer infrastructure
  • €86 million for high-efficiency CHP systems in Arad and Constanța
  • €86.25 million for green hydrogen production
  • €180 million for general building renovation
  • €80 million for digitalising the judiciary
  • €30 million for the Water Cadastre
  • €14.8 million for public administration process automation (RPA)
  • €5 million to establish the National Building Registry

Minister Pîslaru reiterated that none of the non-reimbursable funding is being lost in the revision: “Every euro from the grant component remains secured.”

What Happens Next

The revised plan is expected to be approved by the ECOFIN Council on 20 September. Once approved, Romania will submit its fourth payment request, anticipated to be disbursed by December. This injection will support the country in managing its budget deficit.

In parallel, Romania and the European Commission are working on simplifying milestones and targets under the PNRR to streamline implementation. These changes are also expected to be adopted by the end of September.

Special Pension Reform Deadline

As part of Romania’s PNRR commitments, the government must finalise the reform of special pensions by 28 November 2025. While recent discussions with the Commission have centred more on investments than reforms, Pîslaru confirmed that internal talks within the governing coalition are ongoing. The Commission is expected to evaluate the final legislative proposals once they are agreed at the national level.

Pîslaru emphasised that the Commission is more interested in fair, principle-based outcomes than in micromanaging the details: “When Romania acknowledges the inequities and proposes a viable solution, the Commission respects that process.”

This update marks a significant moment in Romania’s EU recovery strategy: a more sustainable funding model, clearer priorities, and a push toward faster implementation of long-awaited infrastructure and healthcare investments.