Suchergebnisse

AbstractThis paper aims to discuss the responses to global trends which affect East‐European regions, offering a case study in Romania, namely that of the Bucharest–Ilfov region. This region is considered a relevant example of relative winner in the regional competition at global scale, as one of the most attractive cities for foreign investors in Central and Eastern Europe. With this aim in view the paper focuses on the economy of the region, the global trends which affect it, the specific responses to global trends, including policy aspects and emphasizes the factors supporting the benefits of globalization as well as those impeding these benefits. The analysis is based on both statistical data and qualitative issues brought into discussion by international and Romanian inquiries.Resumen. El objetivo de este artículo es discutir las respuestas a las tendencias globales que afectan a las regiones de Europa del Este, a través de un estudio de caso en Rumanía, en particular el de la región de Bucarest‐Ilfov. Esta región está considerada como un ejemplo de un triunfo relativo en la competencia regional a escala global, siendo una de las ciudades más atractivas para la inversión extranjera en Europa Central y del Este. Con este propósito, el artículo se centra en la economía de la región, las tendencias globales que la afectan, las respuestas específicas a dichas tendencia globales que incluyen aspectos de políticas y en poner énfasis tanto en los factores que apoyan las ventajas de la globalización como en aquellos que las dificultan. El análisis está basado tanto en datos estadísticos como en temas cualitativos suscitados por la investigación internacional y nacional de Rumanía.

After less than two years from its accession to the EU, Romania was seriously hit by the global financial and economic crisis. Compared to other former transition countries, the turmoil was deeper and lasted longer and a modest recovery was recorded only in the second half of 2011, given deep internal vulnerabilities that amplified the impact of international shocks. Consequently, the Romanian regions have been also hit by the crisis, which induced an uneven distribution of its effects at regional scale, depending on the specific economic and social structures, regional specialisation degree, export orientation of economic activities, etc. The crisis has generated difficulties for the beneficiaries of the EU-funded projects – both local public administration and private firms - to provide the co-financing contribution, so that the Romanian Government has had to adopt a series of measures meant to support the implementation of the on-going Operational Programmes and the EU funds absorption process as well. This paper discusses the main developments of Romania's regional policy particularly in the 2009-2011 period, considered crucial years for the successful implementation of this policy. The economic, institutional, political factors that have influenced the regional policy during these years are analysed at the same time with the solutions proposed at the middle of the 2007-2013 programming period for the problems which the regional policy implementation is confronted with.

Environmental sustainability has a complex significance. It is both a theoretical concept and a practical challenge which implies a specific approach, allowing for concrete time and space circumstances. Romania, that experiences a stressful and often painful process of transition to the market economy, has to face important environmental challenges at the same time with great political, economic, social, organisational, cultural, behavioural ones. Therefore environmental preservation strategy is closely related to other components of the national strategy and reform - the sectoral strategies, the strategy of socio-economic regional development, the national physical plan and so on - that take into consideration environmental constraints too. Even though the integration of all these components was a major concern, it cannot be said that this has been really achieved. However, the development of the environmental preservation strategy is only a means to an end, implementation, monitoring and evaluation being also required. In this respect it is apparent that, whatever the importance of financing this strategy, the whole society's participation, as well as communication/information and adequate education are a corner stone for carrying out the proposed objectives. It is absolutely acknowledged that successful strategies are participatory; participation must be concieved in terms of both government ( national and local) and non-governmental actors (corporate sector, non-governmental organisations as well as direct involvement with communities and individuals). In order to carry out their specific functions these actors have to rely on an appropriate legal framework, economic instruments and mechanisms for mediation and conflict resolution. The committment of the participants involved as well as a conducive political and social climate are critical in a 'people-centred' approach to environmentally suatainable development strategy. Starting from these overall conditions this paper aims at highlighting the institutional and behavioural challenges to Romania's environmental preservation strategy, so as to answer questions as: to what extent is the Romanian society able to adapt to environmental change ? which are the mechanisms, the instruments that can be employed to face this change and to attain the objectives proposed? Without denying the role of technical change in such processes, this paper focuses on the need of real, radical changes not only in terms of institutional, legislative framework but also in terms of behaviour, mentalities, attitudes. In this context the environmental management decentralization and the role of local public administration and local communities are particularly addressed.

In this paper we propose an inquiry into the patterns of regional specialisation and industrial concentration in Romania during its transition to a market economy (1990–2004). Following an econometric modelling-based approach we demonstrate that the changes in these patterns have been influenced to a large extent by election cycles, and more precisely by changes in the economic policy options determined by the 'colour' of each corresponding government. These findings have an important significance for the postaccession period, suggesting the need for decisions on economic structures to be carefully monitored when a new election cycle is approaching, in order to avoid possible negative consequences for efficiency and integration in EU structures.

The economic and social cohesion policy of the European Union has two inter-related components, namely the vertical cohesion, referring to the alleviation of social disparities and the solidarity with the disadvantaged social groups, and the horizontal cohesion, which concentrates on the regional disparities decrease and the solidarity with the lagging regions' population. Based on this approach, the EU's regional policy is closely related to the horizontal dimension of the cohesion policy and is supported by the EU funds via allocations for convergence - competitiveness and employment - European territorial co-operation objectives of the 2007-2013 programming period. The Central and East European Countries, as New Member States (NMS) of the EU are a major beneficiary of these allocations, especially with regard to the convergence objective, considering the big regional disparities they display in comparison with the EU average. At the EU level it is largely acknowledged that transition to the market economy experienced by these countries has deepened the regional disparities; at present the main issue is when and with which rate a process of regional convergence will occur, both inside each country and compared to the EU average. Hence, the main questions this paper raises: first, which are the implications of the cohesion policy, via EU funds for regional disparities in the NMS? Second, are these countries prepared to ensure a high capacity of absorbing the EU funds and, thus, to turn to good account their endogenous growth potential? In order to answer these questions empirical evidence based on the EU statistical data and studies will be provided, accompanied by comments upon the so-called 'absorption problems'.