Why is Harghita falling behind? Because someone wrote the rules, and they were not written for us.

On May 4, 2026

Harghita County is one of the least developed areas of the European Union within the Central Development Region. This is not an opinion. It is data. That is precisely why, according to the legislation, entrepreneurs in Harghita are eligible for 60% EU funding for digitalization — a higher rate than companies in Brașov or Sibiu.

This advantage exists on paper.

But the funding rules are written in such a way that most entrepreneurs in Harghita cannot access them. Those who would need the support the most are the ones left out.

This is not an accident. This is the logic of the system. And if we do not speak up now, it will remain this way for five years.

Two counties, two realities

Let us look at the numbers.

Brașov County’s GDP per capita indicator is nearly twice that of Harghita. Brașov has a motorway, a logistics corridor, direct foreign investment, and a developed business ecosystem. The headquarters of ADR Centru is in Alba Iulia, which also has more developed and more easily accessible infrastructure.

In Harghita, small workshops, craftsmen, guesthouse owners, and rural farmers work hard. The county’s economy is predominantly rural and based on micro-enterprises.

Now an EU funding scheme is being launched for digitalization. In theory, for everyone. In reality, not.

Financially strong companies from Brașov compete in a system where there is no territorial differentiation. They win. Harghita falls behind. Again.

The three tools of exclusion

The current Applicant Guide excludes a large share of Harghita’s entrepreneurs at three specific points.

First: the minimum project size is EUR 250,000.

For a small entrepreneur in Harghita who wants a webshop, an online booking system, or a digital cash register, EUR 30,000–80,000 would be more than enough. The EUR 250,000 threshold does not follow from the logic of the project. It follows from who the funding system wants to see: financially strong, urban companies with administrative capacity.

Second: micro-enterprises may implement projects only in urban areas.

Harghita County’s economy is predominantly rural. The village guesthouse, the Szekler craftsman, the small workshop in Gheorgheni are all in rural areas. Under the rule, they can apply only if they move the project to a town. This is unrealistic and, in fact, meaningless. In reality, it means exclusion.

Third: the 60% support rate is not clearly communicated.

Entrepreneurs in Harghita and Covasna are eligible for a higher support rate than those in the other counties of the region. This advantage exists. But in the guide it appears scattered and difficult to find. Without an experienced funding consultant, most local entrepreneurs will not even know that they could start from better conditions — if they could get into the system at all.

Why is Harghita a minimum-wage county?

Because we go through this cycle every time.

European money arrives. The rules are written. The rules favor the more developed, more capital-strong areas that are closer to ADR Centru. Harghita is left out or remains underrepresented among the winners. The development gap does not shrink; it grows.

This is not a conspiracy. It is the inertia of the system. But inertia can be challenged if someone takes responsibility for representing local interests.

The problem is that not everyone takes this responsibility.

The public consultation on the document published by ADR Centru opened at the end of April. Harghita County’s business-interest organizations are silent. Other actors in the region are active. The voice of our area is faint.

If the institutions, organizations, chambers of commerce, and elected representatives concerned do not speak up now, the rules will remain. For five years. During this time, European money will flow to Brașov, Sibiu, and the developed centers. Harghita will fall behind again. And entrepreneurs will continue to work for minimum wages.

What I have done and who bears responsibility

On April 29, I submitted an official proposal to Biró Botond Barnabás, President of the Harghita County Council.

In the letter, I requested authorization to represent the Council in the ADR Centru public consultation and to submit the following five proposed amendments in writing:

Territorial bonus in the evaluation system: 5–10 additional points for projects from counties with below-average development
Eligibility for rural micro-enterprises in less developed areas
Reduction of the minimum project threshold to EUR 100,000 for Harghita and Covasna
Clear communication of the 60% support rate in the guide
Free advisory sessions in Miercurea Ciuc, not only in Alba Iulia

These are not political requests. They are based on Article 174 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Regulation 2021/1058 on the ERDF, and the principles of cohesion. I am not asking for an exception. I am asking for the law to be respected.[^1]

The letter has been sent. The proposal is on the president’s desk.

If the Harghita County Council does not make use of the opportunity offered by the consultation, if it does not send a representative, if it does not submit written observations by May 20, then the decision-makers will bear the consequences: Harghita’s entrepreneurs will spend five years trying to apply under rules that work against them. This omission will be accountable. People will know who failed to act when action was possible.

There is a webinar tomorrow. Attend it.

On May 5, tomorrow, there will be a webinar on digitalization funding on the fonduri-structurale.ro platform.

It is one of the best opportunities to understand what can be achieved through this funding, what the conditions are, and how to get started.

The webinar is for premium subscribers, but today you can still register a free account on fonduri-structurale.ro. The free account includes a 14-day premium trial. This means that tomorrow you can participate without paying anything.

If you do not register today, you will not be able to join tomorrow.

One hour invested. In return, you will know what you are entitled to and how you can claim it.

Time is running out

The consultation closes on May 20, 2026.

After that, the Applicant Guide will be final. The rules can no longer be changed for this programming period.

I ask every entrepreneur, farmer, guesthouse owner, and young business owner in Harghita County: speak up now.

Send your observations to ADR Centru: programe@adrcentru.ro

Copy me as well, so that I can represent the county’s voice collectively: info@borbolycsaba.ro

I ask Harghita County’s economic organizations, the Chamber of Commerce, UDMR economic networks, and local governments: signal the problem in writing, within the deadline.

One voice is not enough. Many voices force the system to pay attention.

Closing

Harghita County is not falling behind because its entrepreneurs lack talent. It is not falling behind because people do not work hard. It is falling behind because others write the rules, and if we do not have a say, they will write them according to their own interests.

This can still be changed. But only now, and only if everyone who has a say uses that opportunity.

I have taken action. Now it is your turn.

Borboly Csaba

Vice-President of Harghita County Council

President of the Ciuc Territorial Organization of UDMR