Preliminary assessment of the first payment request of Romania

and prevent early school leaving. The milestone calls for the entry into force of a Government Decision implementing the National Programme to reduce early school leaving, including the implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) in the schools included in the programme. The programme aims to reduce drop out, improve evaluation outcomes, achieve higher participation rates in national examinations and a higher percentage of pupils completing compulsory education; as well as to monitor, through the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) IT tool, pupils at risk of early school-leaving and support schools in data collection, individualised work plans and training. Milestone 462 is an initial step in the implementation of the reform and shall be followed by milestone 463, on the entry into force of the Ministerial Order (MO) for the use of Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) tool at national level by Q4 2022. The reform and complementary investments should reduce early school leaving by at least 25% (target 468). Evidence provided: In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following evidence was provided: 1. Copy of the publication in the Official Journal No. 1252/2021 of 30.12.2021 of the Ministerial Order No. 6000 approving the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) mechanism and methodology. 2. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive 32  elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled (Cover Note). The authorities also provided: 3. Copy of the publication in the Official Journal No. 1250 of 31.12.2021 of the Government Decision No. 1309 establishing the implementation of the National Programme to reduce early school leaving. Analysis: The Romanian government adopted on 30 December 2021 a Government Decision establishing the implementation of the National Programme to reduce early school leaving. It was published in the Official Journal No. 1250/2021 and entered into force on the date of its adoption. The Government Decision (article 2 on page 2) contains a time-bound, evidence-based target to reduce early school leaving in at least 25% of schools participating in the period 2021-2026. It also sets the objective of improving pupils’ performance in national assessments and increasing the percentage of pupils completing secondary education and the participation of secondary education graduates in the national assessment for class VIII graduates and the rate of transition from lower- to upper-secondary or vocational education. The general objectives of the programme are to increase school autonomy and capacity in the use of resources, through the implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE), and to monitor, through the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) tool, pupils at risk of early school leaving, and support schools in collecting relevant data and carrying out plans for individualised activities and training. Through the implementation of these actions, the programme is expected to contribute to a higher cost-effectiveness in the use of resources. The programme identifies primary and secondary schools with a high percentage of pupils at risk of dropping out, and supports them in collecting relevant data and carrying out individualised work plans through the MATE tool. The MATE collects school data on indicators to assess the risk of early school leaving, on the basis of which its vulnerability index on early school leaving is calculated. There are five Indicators: (1) percentage of replacement teachers in relation to total number of teachers; (2) secondary education attainment rate; (3) the ratio of repeat and drop-out pupils to the total number of pupils; (4) the participation rate of secondary school graduates in the national assessment for 8th grade graduates; (5) the share of lower secondary school graduates who scored less than 6 in the national assessment for 8th grade graduates. Based on the vulnerability index established by the MATE, the intervention priority — high, medium and low at school level — is set to reduce the risk of drop-out and early school leaving. Finally, Article 5 of the Government Decision states that the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) and the methodology for the implementation and use of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) IT tool shall be approved by order of the Minister for Education within 30 days of the entry into force of the Government Decision. The Ministry of Education passed the Ministerial Order that approved the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) mechanism and methodology. The Ministerial Order was published in the Official Journal No. 1252/2021 and entered into force on the date of its adoption, 30 December 2021. This allowed schools to know the activities involved in the project and the monitoring procedures. Also, following the description of the measure in the CID Annex, the National Programme for the 33 implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) shall allow for an integrated and systemic approach at local, regional and national level (page 12). The text includes 2 annexes:  Annex 1 of the Ministerial Order states that the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) provides a coherent and uniform framework for early detection of pupils at risk of early school leaving, as it is based on real-time data collection of early signs (such as low academic performance, class repetition, absences, inadequate school behaviour). It allows school staff and decision-makers at county and central level to coordinate, plan and implement appropriate and immediate measures to mitigate identified risks and problems. Such an integrated approach at all levels will allow for close monitoring and timely adjustments;  Annex 2 sets out the methodology for the implementation and use of the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) IT tool, covering identification and assessment of pupils at risk, the planning and implementation of appropriate measures to reduce early school leaving at school, class and student level, defining monitoring and adjustment responsibilities as well as the data collection. Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled Number: 464 Related Measure: Supporting educational establishments with high risk of drop-outs Name of the Milestone: Open call for projects for the support of students for the transition from lower to upper secondary education, on the basis of 5 indicators defined in the Early Warning Mechanism in Education Qualitative Indicator: Publication of the call Time: Q4 2021 Context: The objective of this investment is to reduce early school leaving by means of using the Early Warning Mechanism in Education methodology and IT tool to allocate financial resources to schools for the support of students for the transition from lower to upper secondary education. The ultimate goal is the reduction in early school leaving. The fulfilment of this milestone required launching a call for projects to award grants for educational establishments, on the basis of 5 indicators defined in the Early Warning Mechanism in Education, for the support of students for the transition from lower to upper secondary education. All indicators are calculated on the basis of a weight that analyses the quantity, i.e. the number of students and teachers, or the quality, i.e. the marks obtained in the national assessment. The five indicators are as follows: (1) percentage of replacement teachers in relation to total number of teachers; (2) secondary education attainment rate; (3) the ratio of repeat and drop-out pupils to the total number of pupils; (4) the participation rate of secondary school graduates in the national assessment for class Vlll graduates; (5) the share of lower secondary school graduates who scored less than 6 in the national assessment for class Vll graduates. Based on the vulnerability index on Early School Leaving, Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE) schools were classified into three categories, depending on the priority of the intervention: high, medium and low. High-priority educational units, which need immediate intervention, are considered to be those that receive a total score between 3,5 and 5 and that have several elements of vulnerability, such as a high number of substitute teachers, a high dropout rate, low participation rate and poor national assessment results. These schools shall be prioritised for funding. Eligible activities include:  pedagogical and support activities;  extra-curricular activities; 34   minor works and purchases of goods;  grants for pupils in vulnerable groups to ensure the transition from lower secondary to upper secondary education, to complete compulsory education;  partnerships with NGOs for support and/or extra-curricular activities. This milestone is an initial step in the implementation of the reform and shall be followed by the award of grant schemes to educational establishments by Q1 2022 (target 465). Evidence provided: In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following evidence was provided: 1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled (Cover Note). 2. The online publication of the call for projects to award grants for educational establishments for the support of students for the transition from lower to upper secondary education, showing that the competition is open to applications. 3. The documents describing the technical specifications of the call (Applicants’ guidelines), fully aligned with the description, criteria and conditions as set out in the description of this milestone in the CID Annex. The authorities also provided: 4. A list of eligible schools based on the 5 indicators defined in the Early Warning Mechanism in Education. Analysis: Prior to the launch of the call, the Ministry of Education announced the programme on its internet site and invited schools to submit a declaration of intent (to participate in the call). 3 489 schools that applied were deemed eligible based on the Early Warning Mechanism in Education (MATE). The list of eligible schools, which Romania submitted as part of the evidence, shows how the 5 respective indicators were used to define eligible schools (as indicated in columns R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 in the list of eligible schools based on the 5 indicators defined in the Early Warning Mechanism in Education). On 2 March 2022 the call for projects was launched on the Ministry of Education’s website (https://www.edu.ro/ghidul_solicitantului_PNRAS). The applicant’s guidelines were published together with templates for applicants to use in the call. On the website and in the applicants’ guidelines, the eligible target group and purpose was defined (see p.2 of the guidelines: schools with high and medium risk of dropout and scheme to allocate financial resources to schools to support students in order to reduce absenteeism, improve assessment results, obtain a higher participation rate in national exams and a higher percentage of students’ transition from lower to upper secondary education). In addition, the applicants’ guidelines define management and purposes of the grants and categories of eligible activities (projects) in line with the CID Annex (p.552 of the guidelines). According to the information included on the Ministry of Education website (https://www.edu.ro/ghidul_solicitantului_PNRAS). The call was closed on 14 March. The guidelines also address the CID Annex requirement of schools becoming responsible for the grant and its use, including student outcomes and for regular updates on the progress achieved, by transferring that information into the MATE data collection system (see p.7 and 9). Ministerial Order No 3.496/30.03.2022 approved the list of round-1 educational establishments covered by the grant scheme of the National Reduction Programme School abandonment (PNRAS). 35 The list includes 1 391 educational establishments. Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled [Loan support] Related Measure: Strengthening the regulatory framework for the sustainable Number: 1 management of the water and wastewater sector and accelerating public access to quality services under European directives Name of the Milestone: Entry into force of the amendments to the Law No 241/2006 on water supply and sewerage Qualitative Indicator: Provision in the law indicating the entry into force of Time: Q4 2021 the law Context: The objective of this reform is to improve the capacity of regional water infrastructure operators, in order to improve the quality and efficiency of cooperation between them and the local authorities/inter-community development associations (IDAs) and water and channel infrastructure owners. To reach this objective, a number of legislative and regulatory changes have to be made by the Romanian authorities. The initial step of this reform is the modification of the Law No 241/2006 on water supply and sewerage, covered by this milestone. The reform will be complemented by the setting up of the national programme “First Connection to Water and Sanitation”, which will support families and single people on low incomes to pay the costs incurred for connection to the water supply and sewerage system. This milestone requires amendments to the Law in order to enable the approval of tariff strategies by the general meeting of the IDAs, impose obligations regarding the record keeping of persons that do not discharge wastewater into the public sewerage network and send the list of such persons to the National Environmental Guard annually, the prohibition of direct discharge of untreated wastewater and requiring persons that do not have an appropriate individual collection and treatment system to connect to existing public sewerage systems. The law also establishes the rules regarding the provision of collection of wastewater services, and develops the criteria for authorization, construction, registration/record, operation and maintenance of appropriate individual systems. Evidence provided: In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following evidence was provided: 1. Summary document justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled (Cover Note). 2. Copy of the publication in the Official Journal No. 1258 of 31 December 2021 of the amendments to the Law No. 241/2006 on water supply and sewerage and reference to the relevant provisions indicating the entry into force. Analysis: The amendments to the Law No. 241/2006 were adopted by a government emergency ordinance and were published in the Official Journal No. 1258 of 31 December 2021 and entered into force on the same day. In addition to the copy of the publication in the Official Journal of the amendments to 36 Law No. 241/2006, Romania also provided a detailed analysis of the amendments to the Law No. 241/2006 to demonstrate the compliance with the CID Annex, which can be summarised as follows: Concerning the approval of the tariff strategy of the regional water and sewerage operator by the general meeting of the Intercommunal Development Associations (IDAs), based on the special mandate received from the local administrative units, article 35 paragraph (3) of the Law has been modified to allow the tariff strategy to be approved by decision of the general meeting of the Intercommunal Development Associations for the purpose of water supply and sewage services. Through this change Romania explained that the timeline for the approval of the tariff strategy will be reduced by 3 to 12 months as the decision-making process will be harmonised and will remain only at the level of the general meeting of IDA instead of requesting separate decision-making procedures at each administrative-unit level. The faster adoption of the tariff strategy provides earlier certainty in the approval and financing of water infrastructure investment projects made from public funds and is therefore expected to enable the extension of the water and wastewater service infrastructure. Concerning the obligation of the local public administration authorities to keep records of natural and legal persons that do not discharge waste water into the public sewerage network and send the list of such persons to the National Environmental Guard annually, within article 14 of the law, after the letter g) two new letters h) and i) have been inserted providing that those local authorities shall keep records of natural and legal persons that do not connect to existing or newly established public sewerage systems under the conditions set out in Article 31 (14) and that do not discharge wastewater to the existing public sewerage network, in collaboration with operators or regional operators, in order to make an inventory of individual wastewater collection systems and to notify the population for compliance. The related sanctions (fines and imprisonment) are provided by Water Law 107/1996, notably articles 87 and 92. Romania confirmed that the data on illegal discharging of wastewater will be uploaded