RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA THROUGH ACCESS TO EUROPEAN FUNDS

Abstract

The basic objective of this paper is to present and analyze the major difficulties facing the economic development of rural areas. Second, the paper examines the opportunities that can be exploited to reduce rural-urban disparities. One of the main features of Romanian society is a large gap between the level of economic development in urban and rural areas. Sustainable development implies an even increase in the standard of living for the entire population of a nation. Reducing the disparities between urban and rural regions is a goal of the rural development policy, as part of the Community agricultural policy and also the subject of European funding programs. To support our argument we will analyze and interpret the available statistical data from the point of view of the methods offered by contemporary development theory. All the considerations presented in the paper converge towards the conclusion that the economic disparities between the two spheres of the economic system can be reduced to an acceptable level by government policies to stimulate private investment, by improving public infrastructure and by better allocating resources for education and health. Under these conditions, the Romanian agricultural sector could exploit its huge potential.

Keywords

• rural development
• government policy
• private investment
• infrastructure
• european funds
• rural area
• agriculture