A new batch of 133 projects for the modernization of local roads, under the “Europe is Near” Program, will receive funding from the state budget. The announcement was made today by Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Bolea during a press conference dedicated to the program’s progress and the new investments planned for 2025, TRIBUNA reports.

The 133 projects, approved for financing by the National Council for Regional and Local Development Coordination, add to the 220 launched in July this year, bringing the “Europe is Near” Program to a total of 353 projects under execution or preparation, out of the 579 selected for implementation. In the coming days, mayors of the villages included in the new batch will be invited to sign financing contracts, after which they will be able to initiate public procurement procedures to select contractors.

The implementation of the already launched projects together with the newly included ones, totaling 353, will deliver concrete results, namely:

• 41 km of local roads of district and municipal interest built/rehabilitated;
• 294 km of communal roads and streets inside localities built/rehabilitated;
• 120 km of pedestrian paths and sidewalks to schools, kindergartens, medical institutions, and other public services built/renovated.

In total, more than 880,000 people from 561 localities, as well as over 2,000 public institutions, will benefit from more modern, safer, and more comfortable roads and access routes.

The total value of the projects is approximately 1.69 billion lei, of which 1.5 billion lei come from the National Fund for Regional and Local Development. Local authorities contribute about 190 million lei.

So far, the progress of the “Europe is Near” Program, based on the first 220 projects launched in the summer, is as follows:

• 14 projects are completed, with final reception of works;
• 49 have works executed and are in reception procedures;
• 103 are under execution;
• 35 have contracts prepared for the start of works;
• 19 are in public procurement procedures.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that these investments are carried out in partnership with local authorities and respond to requests coming from citizens.

At the conference, updates were also presented regarding the “European Courtyard” Program. The Minister recalled that all projects selected under the Program have already been included in the Single Programming Document for 2025–2027.

Currently, 56 projects are underway, of which 50 are in the execution stage and 6 are in repeated procurement procedures. At the same time, for the supplementary list of 32 courtyards announced earlier, public procurement procedures for contractor selection are being launched this week. In the upcoming period, design service procedures will also be launched for another 150 courtyards, so that works can begin in February 2026, as soon as weather conditions allow.

“In closing, I encourage patience and confidence that all projects will be completed. Because our task remains the same: to build durable and comfortable infrastructure for the citizens of this country,” Minister Bolea underlined.