ROMANIA HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME LOAN II

The programme loan includes the construction, extension, renovation and rehabilitation of a selected number of university premises in Romania.

The programme loan would finance the construction, extension, renovation and rehabilitation of a selected number of university premises in Romania. The main objective is to provide better learning conditions for students, as well as improved working and research conditions for university staff, by creating additional capacity in academic and research buildings and by renovating existing spaces that are no longer fit for purpose. These investments are also aimed at adapting infrastructures to new technologies, providing additional or modernised student accommodation, improving accessibility for people with disabilities, and also improving the energy efficiency of buildings. All building construction and renovation projects will be energy efficient and will follow energy efficiency standards. The final beneficiaries for this project are current and future students as well as university staff.

The Directive 2011/92/EU amended by 2014/52/EU does not specifically mention the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for buildings relating to education, but it may be that some sub-projects can be regarded as urban renewal projects (Annex II of the European Directive). This will be verified for each sub-operation during the appraisal. Directive 2010/31/EU amended in 2018 by Directive (EU) 2018/844 on the Energy Performance of Buildings will be checked during appraisal for each sub-operation on a case-by-case basis.

The Bank will require the Promoter to ensure that contracts for the implementation of the project shall be tendered in accordance with the relevant applicable EU procurement legislation, Directive 2014/24/EU as well as Directive 89/665/EEC as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with publication of tender notices in the Official Journal of the EU, as and where required.