Romania Establishes Committees for Election of New Leadership Overseeing State-Owned Enterprises
The Romanian government is actively working to finalize the selection of new leadership for the Agency for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Performance of Public Enterprises (AMEPIP). This follows a series of delays and setbacks in the appointment process, with the initial team appointed in December 2023 resigning in July 2024 due to concerns over conflicts of interest and qualifications.
The appointment of qualified management at AMEPIP is crucial as the agency is tasked with improving governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), a key structural reform under the PNRR agreement between Romania and the European Union. The PNRR requires Romania to ensure proper governance of its SOEs, and the EUR 330 million in funds allocated to Romania under the PNRR are contingent on progress in SOE reform. Failure to complete this process in line with EU standards could result in the forfeiture of these funds.
The role of AMEPIP is to operate under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister and the Secretary General of the Government, with the aim of improving the performance of SOEs. These state-owned companies generate revenues in the hundreds of millions of euros. AMEPIP was established under a bill introduced by former Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă.
However, the appointment process has been fraught with political concerns and controversies. Allegations of political influence and capture, especially involving Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacşu, have been raised, with critics arguing this undermines the reform goals of transparency and professionalization pledged in the PNRR framework. Delays and repeated procedural failures have been seen not just as mere administrative issues but as mechanisms enabling continued political control over the agency, complicating Romania’s commitments to EU norms for governance of public enterprises.
As of mid-August 2025, the procedure to appoint an independent expert to support the selection of new leadership has been restarted, with deadlines set around August 20, 2025. The successful appointment of a qualified and impartial team at AMEPIP is essential to unlocking the EUR 330 million in funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) and ensuring Romania's compliance with EU standards for governance of public enterprises.
The success of unlocking the EUR 330 million in funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) relies on the appointment of a qualified and impartial team at AMEPIP. This agency, critical to the improvement of governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), generates revenues in the hundreds of millions of euros and operates within the realm of business and finance.
