The European Commission authorised, with a single condition, a financial aid worth of up to 57 million euros planned by Romania for Ford. The aid supports a programme for training current and future Ford staff working at the plant in Craiova (South). The formation programme addresses a total of 9,000 staff over five years' time. The total cost of the programme is approximately 185 million euros, out of which the society will finance 128 million euros, an EC communiqué announces.

The Commission noted that the aid respected the EU norms regarding training aids because it addresses the improvement of a verified market dysfunction, the insufficient training investments; and it is also adequate as a policy tool.

The aid has a demonstrated stimulus effect and is limited to covering 50% of the general formation eligible costs and 25% of the specific formation eligible costs.

Ford Romania plans to supply extensive and personalised training to the Craiova plant's current and future employees. Up to 9,000 staff will take advantage of a complex training in various sectors, like health and safety, foreign languages, informatics, basic business management and general industry skills. The society will support entirely from its own funds the training addresses its own production activities and the heath and safety derived from the EU law and from the Romanian legislation. The aid goes to the formation aiming additional skills for the employees working in the plant from Craiova.

The Commission imposed the following conditions:

• the aid is paid in periodic instalments and the sums will correspond to the actual spending;

• Ford Romania S.A. will present annual reports to the Romanian authorities and to the Commission regarding the training supplied and the money spent;

• the employees from the plant in Craiova will receive participation certificates which will specify the content and duration of the training.