The present paper emphasizes the corporate social responsibility (CSR) state and development strategies in the European Union and at the level of the Romanian business environment. The aim of the paper is to present the similarities and differences in theCorporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Strategy, Vision – Mission – Values System

Iamandi Irina Eugenia

Joldes Cosmin

English

Research Papers in Economics

175 
 
STRATEGIES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE EUROPEAN 
UNION 
 
Jolde  Cosmin  
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Faculty of International Business and Economics 13-
15,  Mihai  Eminescu  Street,  Sector  1,  Bucharest,  Code  010511,  Romania 
cosmin.joldes@achieveglobal.ro 
0723506870 
Iamandi Irina Eugenia  
Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Faculty of International Business and Economics 13-
15,  Mihai  Eminescu  Street,  Sector  1,  Bucharest,  Code  010511,  Romania 
irina_iamandi@yahoo.com 0723690072 
 
The present paper emphasizes the corporate social responsibility (CSR) state and development strategies 
in the European Union and at the level of the Romanian business environment. The aim of the paper is to 
present the similarities and differences in the above mentioned strategies. We intend also to analyse the 
relationship between the Vision – Mission – Values system in the case of a company and its CSR actions, in 
order to present the main categories of CSR initiatives in Romania. 
 
Keywords: Corporate Social Responsibility, Corporate Strategy, Vision – Mission – Values System 
 
JEL Classification: M14 
 
CSR in the European Union 
After the adoption of the Lisbon Strategy in the spring of 2000, the European Union has proposed 
as  one  of  its  strategic  objectives  in  the  next  10  years  to  become  the  most  competitive  and 
dynamic  knowledge-based  economy  in  the  world,  able  to  maintain  a  sustainable  economic 
growth, providing more and better jobs and maintaining a greater social cohesion. 
Starting  from  this  objective  and  stressing  the  substantial  contribution  of  private  sector  in 
achieving  the  above  mentioned  goals,  the  European  Council  called,  in  particular,  the  social 
responsibility of companies regarding continuous improvement and learning process, effective 
organization of work, equal opportunities, social inclusion and sustainable development. After 
the summit in Lisbon, corporate social responsibility in Europe has become a priority. 
In  this  sense,  a  High-Level  Group  of  National  Representatives  on  Corporate  Social 
Responsibility
88 was established at the end of 2000 in the European Union, in order to maintain a 
continuous dialogue between Member States on the most appropriate and effective practices of 
CSR and to develop and implement a harmonized strategy at the Community level in the same 
field. 
The objectives of a structured exchange of information on CSR national policies and initiatives 
especially  envisage  three  main  directions:  understanding  and  evaluating  the  national  public 
policies  on  CSR  (mechanisms,  factors,  barriers  and  determinants  of  success);  analyzing  and 
promoting  concepts,  tools  and  practices  of  CSR;  developing  a  common  framework  at  the 
European level for national public policies in order to promote and stimulate CSR. 
Thus, in July 2001, the European Commission published the declaration called Green Paper, for 
promoting a CSR framework in Europe. A year later (on July 2002), the communication CSR: A 
Business  Contribution  to  Sustainable  Development  appeared,  through  which  the  European 
Commission was proposing an articulated CSR strategic plan. In October 2002, the European 
Commission designated a forum on issues on CSR in Europe (The European Multi-Stakeholder 
Forum on CSR – CSR EMS Forum), that had as its main objective to promote the experience 
                                                       
88 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/soc-dial/csr/country/CSRHLG_mandate.htm. 176 
 
exchange between companies, establishing common lines of conduct and determining standards 
for assessment instruments. 
In late June 2004, the Forum has submitted a final report (EMSF on CSR – Final Results and 
Recommendations), the result of more than 20 months of discussions and negotiations between 
partners  in  the  business  world,  unions,  NGOs,  civil  society,  social  partners,  observers  and 
representatives of the academic environment. In addition, unions have played an active role with 
regard to CSR in Europe, especially because the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) 
presented  a  series of  CSR  priorities  and  development  challenges.  Also  in  2004,  the  General 
Directorate for Employment and Social Affairs of the European Commission has synthesized into 
a comprehensive document (ABC of the Main Instruments of Corporate Social Responsibility) the 
main mechanisms companies can appeal to in order to strengthen effective CSR policies and 
strategies. 
On 14 June 2005, the European Commission organized a conference on social responsibility of 
small  and  medium  enterprises,  a  topic  less  discussed  before  and  considered  of  secondary 
importance. In its final report from June 2004 the Forum recognized the importance of CSR for 
SMEs and emphasized the differences in CSR approach between SMEs and MNCs. 
On  22  of  March  2006,  the  European  Commission  published  a  communication  entitled 
Implementing the Partnership for Growth and Jobs: Making Europe a Pole of Excellence on CSR 
and launched the European Alliance for CSR. 
The nature and characteristics of corporate social responsibility vary between different Member 
States  and  from  one  cultural  context  to  another.  In  some  countries,  CSR  is  integrated  into 
national  public  policies  (examples:  Bulgaria,  Cyprus,  Denmark,  Finland,  France,  Germany, 
Portugal, Sweden etc.), letting companies a rather restricted area of voluntary corporate social 
involvement, while other countries have developed more initiatives to attract public attention and 
socially responsible practices are left to companies (examples: Estonia, Greece, Ireland, Great 
Britain, Netherlands, Slovenia, etc.), starting from the premise that the role of government and 
public authorities is to encourage and support opportunities for corporate involvement and not to 
build formal and strict structures for directing corporate involvement. 
In comparison with USA, CSR in EU enjoys a greater politicization of being addressed primarily 
at the macroeconomic level. Although the contribution of private actors to develop CSR is vital, 
they operate within a national or European framework assumed more or less voluntarily. 
In 2007, the European Commission, through the High Level Group of National Representatives 
on CSR in Europe, has developed a summary of CSR policies in the 27 EU Member States
89. The 
compendium  illustrates  both  the  similarities  and  differences  between  national  CSR  policies. 
Although very different from one country to another, these strategic objectives are often similar 
and cover issues such as: promoting dialogue within all categories of stakeholders and public-
private partnerships; strengthening the credibility and transparency of CSR practices and tools; 
attracting public attention; increasing knowledge and dissemination of best practices in the field; 
and ensuring a stronger and more consistent connection between the objectives of sustainable 
development and public policies. 
For an exhaustive presentation of the information at the level of the 27 Member States, data were 
structured  in  three  main  categories:  policies  that  promote  progress  in  the  direction  of  CSR, 
policies aimed at ensuring transparency on CSR, and initiatives expressed in other public policies 
that have a positive impact on CSR. 
 
                                                       
89 European Commission, General Directorate for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, 
High Level Group of National Representatives on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR HLG), Corporate 
Social Responsibility – National Public Policies in the European Union, Brussels, Belgium, 2007, pp. 1-95, 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/soc-dial/csr/csr_compendium_csr_en.pdf. 
 177 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Source:  European  Commission,  Directorate  General  for  Employment,  Social  Affairs  and  Equal 
Opportunities,  High  Level  Group  of  National  Representatives  on  Corporate  Social  Responsibility, 
Corporate Social Responsibility - National Public Policies in the European Union, Brussels, Belgium, 
2007, p. 3, http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/soc-dial/CSR/csr_compendium_csr_en.pdf. 
 
Thus, at the level of individual countries, only policies and initiatives that are directly related to 
CSR were analyzed, apart from some other national policies that are addressed in annual plans 
for national reform. 
 
CSR strategies in Romania 
Seen by Kotler & Lee as “a commitment to improve community well-being through discretionary 
business  practices  and  contributions  of  corporate  resources”
90  and  defined  by  the  European 
Multistakeholder  Forum  on  CSR  as  “a  concept  whereby  companies  integrate  social  and 
environmental  concerns  in  their  business  operations  and  in  their  interactions  with  their 
stakeholders on a voluntary basis
91”, corporate social responsibility is today part of the strategic 
approach of the companies that are acting in the Romanian business environment. CSR policies 
were fist launched in Romania in early ’90, rather as a fashionable corporate behaviour or as an 
                                                       
90 Ph. Kotler, N. Lee, Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good for Your Company and Your 
Cause, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New Jersey, USA, 2005. 
91 European Multistakeholder Forum on CSR, Final results and recommendations, 29 June 2004, 
http://www.ec.europa.eu/enterprise/csr/documents/29062004/EMSF_final.report/pdf. 
Conceptual framework of European public policies on CSR: 
 
According  to  above  mentioned  synthesis  made  by  the  High  Level  Group  of  National 
Representatives on Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe, the conceptual analysis of 
CSR at European level is presented as follows: 
 
1.  Promoting CSR: 
-  Attracting public attention; 
-  Research; 
-  Public-Private partnerships; 
-  Business incentives (e.g. corporate awards and recognitions); 
-  Management. 
2.  Ensuring transparency on CSR practices: 
-  Principles and codes of conduct; 
-  General framework of social reporting; 
-  Management systems and social/ecological labels; 
-  Socially responsible investments; 
-  Advertising; 
-  Others. 
3.  Developing public policies to support CSR: 
-  Sustainable development strategies; 
-  Social policies; 
-  Environmental policies; 
-  Public procurement; 
-  Trade and export policies (e.g. promoting OECD Lines of Conduct); 
-  Others (development and fiscal policies). 
 178 
 
extent of the European policies. Later on they became part of the companies’ strategies. From the 
early  beginning,  CSR  was  seen not as  mandated  by  law  or  imposed  by  external forces, but 
undertaken by the companies “in a manner that meets or exceeds the ethical, legal, commercial, 
and public expectations that society has of business”
92. The current Romanian CSR market value 
is around 30 million Euros
93. Although CSR  is an area  still at the beginning of the road in 
Romania, this concept is increasingly present among the national business environment. 
CSR  initially  emerged  in  the  Romanian  business  environment  through  the  multinational 
companies,  such  as  Lafarge,  Coca-Cola,  Holcim,  Carpatcement,  Zentiva,  Orange  Vodafone, 
Petrom-OMV, which are still its main promoters at the national level. As previously declared, 
like any other imported concept, subject to a need of accelerated assimilation, CSR in Romania 
was initially imposed more as a fashion rather than the result of the full awareness of all the 
stakeholders’ needs
94. 
In Romania, like anywhere else, the process of defining the future development direction of any 
company, no matter it refers to the domestic or international market, is expressed by the system: 
Vision – Mission – Values of the company and its strategic objectives. This exceeds the current 
analysis of the company, taking into account the opportunities and future threats. Even if the CSR 
policies may fit within the Vision – Mission – Values system of any company, only during the 
last years CSR was in some cases part of the Romanian corporate strategic approach. While 
mission statement answers the question: “Why are we on a market?”, vision statement provides 
the answer to the question: “Where are we going to?”. Most companies develop both a vision 
statement and a mission, but only few of them define their CSR policies accordingly. On the 
other hand, in a summary of a very recent date published by a specialized magazine
95, the market 
analysts also consider that in the present Romanian market there is a rather low concern in terms 
of strategic approach of CSR long-term influences on the communities to whom it is addressed. 
As the market is becoming increasingly competitive, companies have begun to become aware of 
the economic and social potential of CSR in the process of consolidating corporate image and 
reputation, as a prerequisite for the long-term success. This is why CSR recently began to be 
present in the business strategies of Romanian companies, no matter their size. 
Even if in Romania the most important CSR initiatives are focused on the environmental field, 
we may observe also a consolidation of the CSR in case of the social and cultural-educational 
areas, which actually situates the national market in line with other developed markets. However, 
in comparison with the most developed countries, CSR involvement in Romania neglects the 
following areas: medical and scientific research; highly developed cultural projects; civic and 
human rights; some controversial social causes like drug use and sexual minorities; management 
of donations of goods
96. The most important categories of CSR projects carried out by companies 
in Romania in 2007-2008 period refer to the following social implication areas
97: 
  -Environmental protection (e.g. Alexandrion Group Romania, Cosmote, Elpreco, Lafarge 
  Romania, Mol Romania, Petrom, United Business Development, Vodafone Romania); 
  -Social  issues  (e.g.  A&D  Pharma,  Cardinal  Motors,  E.ON  Gaz,  Intercontinental 
Bucharest,   McDonald's Romania, Prod Ardealul); 
  -Civic  behavior (e.g.  Angst  Romania,  Coca-Cola  HBC  Romania,  Pro TV,  Procter  & 
Gamble   Romania, Tuborg - URBB, UPC Romania); 
                                                       
92 http://www.bsr.org. 
93 A. Ardelean, CSR – Tot mai verde, BIZ Magazine, No. 170, 1-15.11.2008, p. 21. 
94A. Dini ă, Responsabilitatea socială în România – de unde  i încotro?, 2006,  
www.responsabilitatesociala.ro. 
95 A. Ardelean, CSR – Tot mai verde, Revista BIZ, Nr. 170, 1-15.11.2008, p. 23. 
96 Idem, p. 26. 
97 A. Ardelean, CSR - Tot mai verde, BIZ Magazine, No. 170, 1-15.11.2008, pp 33-41. 179 
 
  -Human  rights  (e.g.  Banca  Transilvania,  Baneasa  Investments,  Ginkgo  &  Sarantis 
Romania,   The  Body  Shop,  Romanian  Radio  Broadcasting  Company,  Romanian 
Television); 
  -Health (e.g. Carrefour Romania, Dedeman, Petrom, Philips Romania, Prais Corporate 
  Communications, Vodafone Romania); 
  -Education  (e.g.  BRD-Groupe  Société  Générale,  Holcim  Romania,  IBM  Romania, 
Motorola   Romania, Orange Romania, RBS Bank Romania); 
  -Research (e.g. Agricola International Bacau, Continental Automotive Romania, Fujitsu 
  Siemens Computers, Gorenje Romania, Siveco Romania); 
  -Art  and  culture  (e.g.  Automobile  Bavaria,  Brand  Management,  Electrica,  Pambac, 
Piraeus  Bank Romania, TNT Romania, Zentiva); 
  -Sport (e.g. BCR Leasing IFN, BRD-Groupe Société Générale, Mobexpert, CRE Trust, 
and   Zentiva). 
 
Budgets allocated to CSR projects by Romanian companies can range from several thousand 
Euros or US Dollars, in small enterprises, up to several million, in large companies. Most of the 
big companies present in Romania made public their CSR budgets and allocated in 2008 greater 
amounts than, or at least equal to, those invested in 2007 in social projects. This trend shows that 
CSR is on an ascending trend in Romania. 
 
Conclusions: 
The  CSR  initiatives  once  present  only  in  Western  Europe  are  now  part  of  the  day  by  day 
activities of the companies also acting in the Romanian business environment. 
Companies in EU are supported in their socially responsible activities by the national public 
policies, meanwhile this type of support is rather insignificant in Romania. The good part is that 
also the companies in Romania begin to realize the great strategic potential of developing social 
actions. 
 
Bibliography: 
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STRATEGIES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

http://steconomice.uoradea.ro/anale/volume/2009/v1-international-relations-and-european-integration/26.pdf

STRATEGIES OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

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