Abstract:

The European Union’s regional policy is developing under economic, social and territorial cohesion principles. The EU cohesion policy has been developed as to sustain the stability and development of European integration. Once started the process of accession to the European Union, Romania has established in 1998 its own regions, so that regional development policies can be implemented. Six regions of Romania, exactly the whole country, except the Bucharest Ilfov Region and West Region of development, are ranked among the 20 poorest EU regions, located in four countries of Central and Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and Hungary, which joined the EU in the last two enlargements. For Romania, reducing territorial disparities and achieving a balance between economic and social development levels of its regions is therefore a matter of utmost importance. This aspect has to be considered related with the new European Union’s multi-faceted approach, which seems to replace its traditional mechanisms based on regional redistribution policies and programs. This paper analyses the existing situation at the regional level in Romania, with particular reference to one of its poorest regions, which require the highest socio-economic development support: the North East Region.