Romania

Institutional Strengthening of Utility Sector - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - in September 1999, AEAI opened offices in Bucharest to provide technical assistance to improve the organization, role and operations of ANRE (the Romanian National Regulatory Agency), and to improve the manner in which the state power company, CONEL, interacts with regulatory officials and enforces regulations. This is a two-year activity with direct focus on improving the institutional strengths of the regulatory body and assistance to restructure the companies of CONEL that will include: · In-house training on operations and management; · Development of regulatory body's organizational structure; · Development and drafting of regulations for the electricity sector and telecommunications; · Establishing public information and stakeholder participation regimens; · Establishing international accounting standards' system; · Legal and regulatory review including secondary legislation and legal advisory on improving existing laws/drafting new ones; · Development rules for trade arrangements, power pooling and interconnection; · Providing ongoing training including study tours as well as regional in-country training; · Participation in regional and local seminars, and conferences sponsored by donors and industry; · Establishment of industry, regulatory body, government, consumer group roundtable to inform public and donors of organizational processes, leverage resources; and · Development of regulatory body procedures for operations, drafting regulations, evaluating sector performance, control of service quality and monitoring consumer consumption.

Community Development

Romanian Regional Economic Assessments - The World Bank (1997-present) - AEAI staff currently work in Romania and are working with the National Agency for Development to assess economic development opportunities outside of Bucharest that will address concerns of Romania's restructuring industries. Issues we have identified in the World Bank funded "Mining Sector Social Impact Survey" include (1) local governments requirements on training for management of funds, earlier handled by federal government; (2) local population information requirements to understand how services such as water, telecommunications and electricity are impacted by restructuring and how they will begin to pay bills for these new market services; (3) business development and job creation opportunities in the regions and identification of programs that exist or could receive government and donor support (i.e. USAID, European Union - PHARE, World Bank) and (4) public information and outreach activities that can be taken to assure all stakeholders are advised of the technical assistance available and can contribute to the implementation of the assistance.