Cohesion Policy and Social Aspects in the Non-reimbursable Allocation for Low-carbon Economy

Abstract

To reach the necessary cohesion for the member states at socio-economic level, the EU sets substantial budgets in motion to implement its policies. This study proposes an analysis of how European funds were used for the construction of the Cohesion Policy in the segment of transition to low-carbon economy within the South-East Region of Romania, with a focus on the social side. The study case reveals challenges in implementing non-reimbursable financing for programming period 2014-2020/2023. The source of data are the official reports of the ministries with the role of management authority and that are updated up to this moment. The results of this study emphasize the importance of the Cohesion Policy financing for reaching the energy transition targets, but also the need to use a part of this fund for supporting social aspects so that people can more easily overcome the financial barriers on the way to green transition.

Keywords

• energy transition
• energy efficiency
• cohesion policy
• european funding
• sustainable development