Environmental data and indicators and human security related issues in Romania: an institutional approach

When the environmental issues are addressed in sustainability, human security terms the information demand is getting more complex, emphasising the need to integrate environmental, economic and socio-cultural information. This paper proposes an insight into the data and indicator issues on environment and human security in Romania from an institutional perspective. To a country in transition like Romania creating appropriate organisational structures and legislation has beed a prerequisite to building a realistic and effective environmental protection strategy. Therefore a presentation of the institutional and legislative framework of environmental protection created after 1989, in comparison with the situation in the communist period, has been considered necessary for understanding the institutional context of environmental data collecting, transmitting, processing and employing. On this basis the environmental information system has been critically assessed in terms of content, information flows and further developments related to human security issues. The data reliability at various territorial levels of data collecting, processing and transmitting has been also analysed in this context. A special emphasis has been put on the actors involved in employing the environmental information for strategy and policy elaboration and implementation, management and administration as well as for scientific research, environmental education and public participation purposes. A typology of these actors from organisational viewpoint has been proposed and analysed, pointing out the need of enhancing the netwotking effects at both national and international level.

Institutional Challenges to Romania’a Regional Policy in the Perspective of Accession to the European Union

Starting with 1998, when the process of Romania’s accession to the EU was officially launched, the legal and institutional framework for regional development policy has been created, followed by the elaboration of the National Development Plan. As the programming document that builds up Romania’s access to the structural-type funds in the pre-accession period and to the structural and cohesion ones after accession to the EU, the NDP responds to both ‘internal necessities’ and ‘external requirements’, revealing the philosophy of the EU support via pre-accession instruments, which has a twofold significance: on the one hand the financial aid is viewed as a way of reducing economic and social disparities between the candidate and the EU member countries; on the other hand, working with pre-accession instruments, creating the institutional framework for measures implementation, action monitoring and impact evaluation allow the candidate countries’ authorities to get used to European Commission’s procedures and, thus, to be prepared for the administration of the much higher amounted financial funds after accession to the EU. Though, in the case of Romania the institutional framework for regional development policy has suffered a lot of changes since 1998, with negative consequences on the absorption capacity of EU funds, serving as a good example for explaining why so many times Romania has been severely criticised by EU for institutional instability and delays in institutional reform. This paper proposes an analysis of Romania’s regional development policy in the perspective of accession to the European Union, with a particular emphasis on the institutional transformations and future challenges, especially those referring to the post-accession period. The author’s contribution to a recent study on Romania’s capacity to absorb the EU funds (developed under the auspices of the European Institute of Romania) will be presented, offering an evaluation of the components that characterise the administrative capacity of absorption in programming field.

The Relationship Between Housing Policy and Local Development Policy in Romania. The Case of the Large Housing Estates Rehabilitation

This paper represents a part of the author's contribution to the project "Housing rehabilitation in apartment block areas in Romania" developed under the auspices of the National Council for Higher Education Scientific Research. It addresses the relationship between housing policy and local development policy mainly from an institutional and legislative perspective, focusing on the actors involved in supporting housing and urban renewal actions in Romania. The role of local public administration is particularly envisaged, considering the authority of city councils with regard to rehabilitation of apartment block areas and, in a wider context, to urban regeneration. Several case studies on various Romanian cities will be presented in order to reveal not only current opportunities but also a series of drawbacks in this process.

ARE CLUSTERS VIABLE SOLUTIONS FOR LAGGING REGIONS? EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM CEE COUNTRIES

This paper discusses to what extent clusters can flourish and generate significant outputs for the lagging regions, aiming to point out criteria and classifications resulted from the international literature typologies of a particular relevance for the study of clustering phenomenon in such regions. Then, it concentrates on empirical evidence from various Central and East European countries, so as to provide some reflections on the most appropriate support policies for cluster development based on successful experiences recorded by less developed regions in these countries.clusters, lagging regions, typologies, support policies.

DEZVOLTAREA DURABILA, CARACTERISTICA DE RESPONSABILITATE A MANAGAMENTULUI COMUNITAR

The economic development of the community must not be viewed as an ordinary quantitative increase, measured in GDP parts. It must be viewed as a whole, considering all the factors that characterise this community. It will be understood as an effect of a performing management, which manifests maximal sensitivity and ability regarding the resources coordination in order to completely satisfy the interest of its members.sustainable development, European management, geography of organizations

Romania's Development towards the Knowledge Economy: the ICT Dimension

This paper attempts to contribute to the existing research by providing new data and information about Romania's advance towards the knowledge economy. In particular, two research questions will be envisaged. First, the role of information and communications technologies in economic development will be discussed in connection with its relevance for assessing the progress in knowledge economy. Second, Romania's position both in ITC and knowledge economy will be examined in a European and international context. With this aim in view a series of literature insights will be combined with a methodological framework and relevant statistical data analysis.Knowledge Economy Index, ICT Index, Romania's basic scorecard