Operational Arrangements between the European Commission and Romania

 ANNEX II Recovery and Resilience Facility First modification to the Operational arrangements between the European Commission and Romania [The modification to the Operational Arrangements shall enter into force on the date of receipt of the European Commission’s agreement in writing.] This modification to the Operational Arrangements is made by and between the European Union, represented by the European Commission, hereinafter referred to as “the Commission” and Romania, represented by the Minister of European Investments and Projects, Hereinafter referred to as “the Member State”, hereinafter jointly referred to as the “Parties” and each of them a “Party” The Parties have agreed the following: Operational Arrangements of 25 May 2022 between the European Commission and Romania are modified as follows: (1) In Section 2: Arrangements for access to data (a) Clause 2.2 is replaced by the following: Annex I specifies the minimum information (i.e. verification mechanisms) that supports the due justification of the request for payment. Romania shall send this information to the Commission together with the payment request. Where relevant, the Commission may request samples of the evidence. In accordance with Article 24(3) of the RRF Regulation, the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets shall presuppose that measures related to previously satisfactorily fulfilled milestones and targets have not been reversed by the Member State. Romania shall notify the Commission of any change in the documentation on which that assessment was made, which is of a material nature to affect such assessment or the assessment of future milestones and targets. (2) In Section 3: Timeline for payment requests (a) The table for Financial Contribution is replaced by the following: Payment Request for the EUR 2 037 146 414 Q2 2022 First Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 2 147 491 242 Q4 2022 Second Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 858 678 580 Q4 2023 Third Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 003 031 904 Q3 2024 Fourth Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 351 912 566 Q1 2025 Fifth Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 809 818 435 Q3 2025 Sixth Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 548 157 938 Q1 2026 Seventh Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 809 818 435 Q3 2026 Eighth Instalment (b) The table for Loan is replaced by the following: Payment Request for the EUR 907 669 494 Q2 2022 First Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 080 198 230 Q4 2022 Second Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 811 026 482 Q4 2023 Third Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 677 245 690 Q3 2024 Fourth Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 3 287 401 552 Q1 2025 Fifth Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 744 335 517 Q3 2025 Sixth Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 1 610 155 862 Q1 2026 Seventh Instalment Payment Request for the EUR 3 824 120 173 Q3 2026 Eighth Instalment (c) Annex I: Milestones, Targets and Related Indicators is replaced by the following Annex I. (d) Annex II: Arrangements and Timetable for Monitoring is replaced by the following Annex II.  ANNEX I In the tables below, euro-denominated amounts shall be assessed by a conversion rate of 1 euro = 4.9195 lei, the exchange rate of the European Central Bank on 31.05.2021, date of the submission of the Romanian Recovery and Resilience Plan to the Commission. ARRANGEMENTS AND TIMETABLE FOR MONITORING – NON-REPAYABLE FINANCIAL SUPPORT Qualitative Quantitative indicators Indicative timeline Related Measure Further Milestone/ indicators (for targets) for completion Responsibility Num (Reform or Name specification Target (for for reporting and Verification mechanism Investment) (where milestones) implementation Unit of necessary) Baseline Goal Quarter Year measure 22 Reform 1. Milestone Adoption of Adoption of Q3 2022 Ministry of Summary document duly justifying how Reform of forest the National the National Environment, the milestone (including all the management and Forest Forest Water and constitutive elements) was satisfactorily governance Strategy Strategy Forests fulfilled. This document shall include as systems through 2020-2030 2020-2030 an annex the following documentary the development evidence - copy of the adopted strategy of a new National and a link to the website where the Forest Strategy strategy can be accessed. and subsequent legislation 23 Reform 1. Milestone Entry into Provision in Q3 2022 Ministry of Copy of the publication in the Official Reform of forest force of the Environment, Journal, accompanied by a summary management and amended Ministerial Water and document duly justifying how the governance Ministerial Ordinances Forests milestone was satisfactorily fulfilled. This systems through Ordinances indicating the summary document shall include a the development laying down entry into reference to the relevant provisions of a new National binding rules force of the indicating the entry into force and to the Forest Strategy for amendments provisions which fulfil the relevant and subsequent afforestation elements of the milestone, as listed in the legislation and description of milestone and the reforestation corresponding measure in the CID annex, foreseen in the with appropriate links to or copies of the National document(s) mentioned in the summary Forestry document. Strategy 2020-2030 6  Qualitative Quantitative indicators Indicative timeline Related Measure Further Milestone/ indicators (for targets) for completion Responsibility Num (Reform or Name specification Target (for for reporting and Verification mechanism Investment) (where milestones) implementation Unit of necessary) Baseline Goal Quarter Year measure 24 Reform 1. Milestone Entry into Provision in Q2 2023 Ministry of Copy of the publication in the Official Reform of forest force of the the law Environment, Journal, accompanied by a summary management and legislative acts indicating the Water and document duly justifying how the governance amending and entry into Forests milestone was satisfactorily fulfilled. This systems through supplementing force of the summary document shall include a the development the existing legislative reference to the relevant provisions of a new National legislation on acts indicating the entry into force and to the Forest Strategy forests provisions which fulfil the relevant and subsequent elements of the milestone, as listed in the legislation description of milestone and the corresponding measure in the CID annex, with appropriate links to or copies of the document(s) mentioned in the summary document. 25 Investment 1. Target New areas of ha 0 25 000 Q4 2023 Ministry of Summary document duly justifying how Afforestation and afforested or Environment, the target (including all the constitutive reforestation reforested Water and elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled. national land Forests campaign, This document shall include as an annex including urban the following documentary evidence: forests a) a report by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests demonstrating that the implementation of the target is in compliance with the legal requirements laid down in the National Forest Strategy and fulfills the conditions a) to e) listed in the target description; b) a list of the assessment documents