Private business spearheads Romania bid for Euro 2020

Romanian large corporate lobbying group the Foreign Investors’ Council (FIC) is spearheading a bid for the 2020 European Football Championship in collaboration with a neighbouring country, pinpointing Hungary and Bulgaria as chief contenders

November 2010 - From the Print Edition

The move could help boost the absorption of European Union funds for infrastructure - however the winning bid will be allocated in 2014 - one year after the deadline for the allocation of EU structural funds to Romania.
“This would stimulate a lot of investments in roads, hotels, motorways, airports and stadiums,” said Claudio Zito, FIC board member and president of Enel Romania. “The investment in infrastructure could contribute to a one per cent rise in GDP growth.”
The cost for Romania would be ten billion Euro over the 2010 to 2020 period.
“Poland was slow at absorbing EU funds until it won the bid with Ukraine for the 2012 European Football Championship - it was a spur to changing their perspectives,” said one businessman familiar with both Poland and Romania.
Zito said there should be “no limitations” on other countries who could launch a joint-bid with Romania – which could open the door for Serbia.
FIC believes the project could attract one million tourists during the time of the event. This is a long-term plan that would need cross-party approval and a feasibility study.
One chief benefit for Romania is that the nation’s team would not need to experience the heartache of trying to qualify through the group stages.
Bucharest also has a new modern venue in the redevelopment of the site of the Lia Manoliu National Stadium in the east of the city, which should be finished next year.