Small entrepreneurs say they could survive the crisis and preserve their number of jobs if the government granted them state aid for investments and for covering debts to suppliers, to the state budget, and for cofinancing EU projects, with state aid being much easier to access than European funds.

Firms currently have de minimis aid available – structural funds of up to 200,000 euros, which are available to companies involved in production, fishery and industry for acquisition of equipment, furniture, vehicles, and for the construction of production facilities. The budget allocated for de minimis aid between 2007 and 2011 is 100 million euros, but the number of projects submitted and currently under evaluation exceeds the allocated budget. “Over 1,600 projects have been submitted, whose value exceeds the allocated budget. We still receive projects, but their chances of receiving funds are smaller. According to our information, around 1,200 more projects will be able to receive the money. For the time being, supplementing the budget is not an option because we have no money available,” says Marian Nitu, chief of staff of SME Secretary of State Maria Parcalabescu, within the Ministry of the Economy.

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