More than €100,000 of European Union money has been spent on an electric vehicle charging station that currently sits in the middle of a meadow with no access road, rendering it unreachable by car.
The station forms part of a larger project financed through Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the EU’s post-pandemic recovery fund aimed at “green” transition measures.
The entire scheme – covering two charging points and a bicycle path – cost 1.352 million lei (approximately €265,000). News channel Antena 3, a partner of CNN, described the controversial unit as an investment of “over €100,000”.
Located in the “Europa” zone of Săcălășeni commune in Maramureș County, northern Romania, the charger stands far from the village centre on what is still communal pasture land.
A second station has been installed opposite the town hall but the remote one can only be reached on foot or by crossing a ditch.
The city claims that the road is planned for construction and that there are discussions with investors for the development of some businesses in that perimeter but it is not known when it will be ready.
Mayor Emilian Pop defended the project, telling local media on April 22: “When you start something, not everything is perfect.”
He explained that the site was chosen because a transformer station already existed there capable of supplying the necessary power, and the surrounding 200 hectares are earmarked for future development.
“We will discuss in time whether the investment had a purpose or not,” he added.
The Mayor noted there are only around 50 electric vehicles in the entire commune, five of them owned by the local authority.
The story, first highlighted by local outlets, has quickly spread on social media in Romania, prompting questions about the effectiveness of EU-funded green infrastructure projects in rural areas.
Peste 100.000 de euro au fost investiți într-o comună din Maramureș pentru construirea unei stații de încărcare electrică la care nu pot ajunge maşinile. Aceasta este amplasată în mijlocul unui imaș, departe de zona centrală a localității și fără drum de acces. #antena3cnn pic.twitter.com/mcuMiBxhzD
— Antena 3 CNN (@antena3romania) April 23, 2026
