Bilateral Co-operation between Romania and the Netherlands

On a bilateral level, the Netherlands Government is ranking high amongst those actively supporting Romania's aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures. To underscore this, the Netherlands has decided to make several assistance instruments available to Romanians and Dutch people who like to join hands in common, mutually beneficial undertakings. It is an honour and pleasure for the Embassy to be part of such a process and to contribute to achieving successful co-operation. The Royal Netherlands Embassy is always at your disposal to provide more details to those who are interested in the bilateral co-operation programmes.

The following assistance programmes are applicable:

Social Transformation Programme (Matra)

Matra is a bilateral assistance programme run by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It has a wide range of components, and its aim is to support the social transformation process of the countries in which is active.
In Central and Eastern Europe Matra was an important democratisation instrument for the countries that has acceded to the European Union.

Matra currently operates in the following five different groups of countries:

  1. New EU member states: Bulgaria and Romania (no new proposals).
  2. Candidate countries for EU accession: Croatia, Macedonia, Turkey.
  3. Potential candidate countries: Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.
  4. EU neighbours to the east: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
  5. EU neighbours to the south: Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia (restrictions apply).

In Romania, in the period 1995 - 2010 Matra has supported the implementation of projects that have contributed to the development of an open, pluralist, democratic society, firmly embedded in the rule of law.
As of the 1st of January 2007, the date of Romania's accession to the European Union, most of the components of the Matra Programme have entered a phasing out stage.

The year 2010 is for both the Matra-KAP and the Matra-KNIP components the last year in which they operate in Romania. In 2010 Matra-KAP and Matra-KNIP will finalise the implementation of projects contracted in the year 2009 and will make no new commitments.

For the projects that are still ongoing please see the list for your review.

Matra also financially supports the Local Government East Programme (LOGO-East). LOGO-East aims to strengthen regional and local governments through bilateral (and trilateral) partnerships between counterparts in Romania and the Netherlands. This programme, implemented by the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), will be concluded for Romania in 2008. More information about LOGO-East

In addition to the Matra and PSO programmes, the Netherlands Embassy in Romania also assesses, administers and monitors Romanian applications for a world-wide instrument of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the Human Rights Facility (FSA).

Finally, the Netherlands provides support to Romania within the framework of the special relationship that is enjoyed within the IMF and World Bank Electoral Group. This support will discontinue after 2007.