Transformations  in
Business & Economics

The Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion between EU’s Objectives and National Regional Policies: A Romanian Perspective
Daniela-Luminita Constantin, Zizi Goschin, Andreea Iluzia Iacob

ABSTRACT. This paper discusses the relationship between the EU cohesion objectives and the Romanian regional policy, aiming at clarifying, whether the scope of the latter is larger than that outlined by cohesion or a tight correlation between the two prevails. The investigation starts with the nature of regional problem in Romania, followed by the legal framework supporting the cohesion objectives, the policy responses to regional problems, the impact of the current economic and financial crisis, the current stage of the cohesion policy implementation and reflections on the future of cohesion policy from a Romanian regional perspective. The main conclusion is that the entire regional development policy in Romania gravitates around the EU cohesion policy, which remains the most viable development policy model even in the next programming period, as a pre-requisite for continuing the process of economic, social and territorial convergence.

KEYWORDS: economic, social and territorial cohesion, regional policy, legal and institutional framework, convergence, Romania.

JEL classification: R13, R28, R38, R58.