THE ROLL OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

The paper analyses the roll of the main external funds in the environmental protection. These investments represent an important place in the economic growth and in the same time contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the environmental policy, taking into account the demands imposed by the adhering (65% out of the integration costs are environment costs), finally reducing the gaps between European Union and Romania. However the quality of the environment determines regional attractiveness and as such is a local factor for investment.financial assistance, European Union, environmental policy, European integration

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AS TOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

Correlating private and social interests represents a continuous challenge for environmental policy. Traditional implementation tools proved to be not enough for accomplishing the objectives required by the protection of natural systems. Therefore, they were complemented by a number of actions that approach different aspects of the social and economic life. The paper addresses from these the issue of sustainable production and consumption stimulated by the embodying of environmental criteria in public procurement. The argument for this initiative is developed on the base of principle considerations, and also by using the international and European experience in the promotion of “green” public procurement. The analysis reveals the fact that such initiatives are justified by the size and authority of the state, which is a consumer responsible for one third of the national consumption, but also a behavior example for a correct perception of social interest.sustainable production and consumption, environmental policy, decoupling, public procurement.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA: EXPERIENCES IN THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS

Sustainable development builds the vision on the future and it is shaped in goals and appropriate actions for all levels of approach. The progress towards this future necessitates the definition of intermediary plans for objectives and targets that allow an operational approach. In Romania, the significance of sustainable development is circumscribed to the equity notion, being translated, on short term, as regional development. Although sustainable development supposes the simultaneous progress on economic, social and environmental plans, the current situation reveals the need to eliminate gaps among them, respectively to prioritize economic objectives. The paper analyzes the accomplishments based on the typology and size of projects that had financial support by the specific operational programs. The results are discussed in relation with strategic European goals, but also as argument for the importance of public power in reaching the development and welfare goals.sustainable development, financial support, European goals, regional distribution.

Enterprises in Romanian Agriculture – Management, Present and Perspectives

The paper work contains synthetic references relating to agricultural enterprises found in structures of exploitations in Romanian agriculture. Their concerns over these units appear to be lower, their number is not large. The work combines aspects of representing these units to management and their particularities in comparison with units from other branches, with their regarding functionality and the factors who determine their prospects in agriculture in the next years and the conclusions learned from the study undertaken.reform; enterprise; private initiative; empirical and scientific management; risk; cost; competitiveness.

The Ukrainian Movement in Bucovina. The Ukrainian National Party

The lack of unity and organization, registered within the Ukrainian community from Bukovina, prior to 1918, has been overcome by the clotting of the Ukrainian minorities around the Ukrainian National Party, established in 1926, in a political context which was favorable to the affirmation of one’s own national identity. The efforts of its leaders, undertaken in order to limit the denationalization and assimilation, of the maternal language use, of the economic development and of the cultural expression specific to the ethnicity, sustained by external forces, have not stopped the Ukrainian community from collaborating with the Romanian political party and their involving in the Great Romania’s political life. Due to the international evolutions from the end of the inter-war period, the idea of sustaining the creation of the independent Ukraine became even more clearly outlined, while on the territories where Ukrainians lived, began presenting a major interest for the two powers: Germany and USSR

MANAGERIAL DIMENSION OF FOOD CRISIS

Care for public health is of primary importance for any governmental policy, since human health is the most valuable for social development. The national health policy concentrates efforts toward strengthening public health and re-launching of economic activities. The paper analysis the public health indicators in Romania related to food safety. It ends up by identifying several challenges to be addressed at governmental levelquality management, food safety, food security, sustainable agriculture.

Measures of Environmental Performance

Sustainable development was recognized and accepted easily as a vision for afuture in which the “limits of growth” are respected while the wealth and welfare of humans continues to increase. Governments, companies, communities, and even individuals are now aware that environment needs more consideration and some effort should be invested in protecting or restoring it. Most of these efforts mean higher costs and lower incomes or profit, contradicting the basic tenets of economics. Nevertheless, there is an area where the interests could and should meet. This area is efficiency, and since it could be interpreted from the perspective of environmental outcomes, is ecoefficiency. Reducing water consumption, energy use, amount of waste that is generated, volume of discharged waste water means for a company less costs. In case that these reductions are occurring and production is steady or even increasing, efficiency is improved, along with the environmental performance of the company. The paper explains the rational of eco-efficiency concept and makes comments on a number of quantitative approaches.environmental performance, sustainable development, eco-efficiency, environmental impact, environmental pressure.

Internal Drivers Of Environmental Performance. Case Study: The Trading Activity

Increasing environmental performance is one of the changes involved by sustainable development and became a condition of success in economic activities. Efforts invested in this direction are explained by a number of strategic advantages – operational ecoefficiency, reputation, strategic direction, risk management, human resources management, product differentiation - , which justifies economic suboptimal functioning on short term. Governmental policies contributed to the development of these advantages, but there still remain many unclear aspects regarding the reaction pattern of enterprises. The paper aims to address this area of uncertainty by analyzing the patterns that could become internal drivers of environmental performance in trading activity. Size, profitability and efficiency in the use of resources, identified by prior research as internal drivers of environmental performance, were not confirmed by the empirical analysis performed on a sample of companies with trading activities. The impact of changes in the conditions that allow participation in public procurement bidding, the way of evaluating environmental performance are possible explanations for these inconclusive results. Future research should address the relative importance of internal and external drivers, the possibilities to express environmental performance and inter-sector comparisons.sustainable development, environmental performance, proactive approach, trading, ISO 14 001

The Fisherman

The calmness of the lake was shattered by the put-put of an outboard as it rounded the bit of land at the edge of the bay and came in toward the boathouse