BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (June 24, 2004) – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a $562,080 grant today to the Romanian Ministry of Environment and Water Management.  The grant will be used to fund a feasibility study on the development of a pilot project related to drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities in the Siret River Basin region in Romania.  The pilot project is designed to assist the Ministry in complying with the European Union’s (EU) Water Framework Directive.

The grant was conferred in a signing ceremony at the Ministry of Environment and Water Management in Bucharest.  Her Excellency Speranta Ianculescu, Minister of Waters and Environmental Protection, signed the grant on behalf of the Government of Romania.  Mr. Ned Cabot, USTDA Regional Director for Europe, signed the grant on behalf of the U.S. Government.  Mr. George Constantin, Director of the Water Department at the Ministry of Environment and Water Management, and Mr. Jonathan Marks, Senior Commercial Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, witnessed the grant signing on behalf of the Romanian and U.S. Governments, respectively. 

Following today’s award, the Ministry will select four municipalities in the Siret River Basin area to participate in the pilot project.  The municipalities will be chosen based on population, pollution dischargers, watershed, receiving stream, and existing infrastructure characteristics.  The selected municipalities will serve as models for other localities in the river basin.

The USTDA-funded feasibility study will examine the best ways to improve drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities in each of the four municipalities around the river basin.  The overall project in the Siret River Basin will serve as a demonstration of the river basin planning approach to municipal drinking water and wastewater management for the remaining 11 river basins in Romania. 

The Government of Romania is undertaking the pilot project as part of its efforts to comply with the EU Water Framework Directive, which seeks to expand the scope of water protection to all waters, surface waters, and groundwater.  The Directive identifies river basin management systems as the best model for water management.  Its goal is to coordinate in a river basin context the application of EU local measures, such as the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive; the Nitrates Directive, covering various pollution problems; and the Drinking Water Directive.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interests in developing and middle-income countries.  The agency funds various forms of technical assistance, feasibility studies, training, orientation visits and business workshops that support the development of a modern infrastructure and a fair and open trading environment.  USTDA’s strategic use of foreign assistance funds to support sound investment policy and decision-making in host countries creates an enabling environment for trade, investment and sustainable economic development.  In carrying out its mission, USTDA gives emphasis to economic sectors that may benefit from U.S. exports of goods and services.

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