Rezumat

Uniunea Europeanã a fost creatã ºi s-a dezvoltat pe douã planuri distincte: extinderea teritorialã ºi integrarea economicã, socialã ºi politicã. Creºterea gradului de integrare, conform principiilor de bazã ale teoriei integrãrii economice, ar fi trebuit sã conducã la creºterea PIB la nivel comunitar ºi a veniturilor pe cap de locuitor în fiecare din Statele Membre. Elementul catalizator în acest caz ar fi fost reprezentat de creºterea concurenþei între firme tot mai eficiente, care acþioneazã pe o piaþã mai extinsã ºi tot mai perfomantã.

S-a demonstrat cã procesul integrãrii economice poate conduce la creºterea discrepanþelor economice dintre þãri ºi regiuni datoritã, în principal, faptului cã factorul de producþie – capital tinde sã se concentreze în regiunile cele mai dezvoltate. Existenþa acestor decalaje pune, pe de o parte, în pericol integritatea pieþei interne ºi a Uniunii Economice ºi Monetare iar, pe de altã parte, este incompatibilã cu principiul solidaritãþii, principiu pe care-l presupune procesul integrãrii europene.

În principiu, Statele Membre sunt cele care ar trebui sã se implice în atenuarea decalajelor regionale, existente în anul 2007. Din acest punct de vedere, Constituþia României menþioneazã responsabilitãþile statului în ceea ce priveºte crearea locurilor de muncã, protecþia socialã, creºterea nivelului de pregãtire profesionalã a personalului angajat, realizarea de investiþii în infrastructurã, accesul la informaþie, susþinerea cercetãrii ºi dezvoltãrii, precum ºi prezervarea mediului înconjurãtor (articolele 31, 32, 35, 41, 50 ºi 135).

Un rol important revine însã ºi Comunitãþii Europene care are, în acord cu prevederile articolului 2 din Tratatul CE, obligaþia de a promova pe întreg teritoriul comunitar “o dezvoltare armonioasã, echilibratã ºi durabilã a activitãþilor economice, un nivel ridicat de ocupare a forþei de muncã ºi de protecþie socialã, egalitatea între bãrbaþi ºi femei, o creºtere durabilã ºi neinflaþionistã, un grad ridicat de competitivitate ºi de convergenþã a performanþelor economice, un nivel ridicat de protecþie ºi de ameliorare a calitãþii mediului, creºterea nivelului ºi calitãþii vieþii, coeziunea economicã ºi socialã ºi solidaritatea între statele membre”.

Acesta este motivul pentru care Statele Membre ale Uniunii Europene participã în mod activ la crearea unei Politici regionale europene, susþinute din fonduri comunitare, fonduri structurale ºi Fondul de coeziune. Scopul acestei politici nu se rezumã doar la o simplã redistribuire a resurselor, ci creeazã condiþiile pentru generarea de noi resurse prin realizarea de investiþii noi suplimentare în regiuni ºi în comunitãþile aferente.

Din punct de vedere conceptual, necesitatea reducerii discrepanþelor regionale era exprimatã, pentru prima datã, în Tratatul de la Roma, care creeazã ºi primul mecanism concret de redistribuþie, respectiv Fondul Social European (FSE). De asemenea, articolul 92.3 al Tratatului (actualul 87.3) menþiona faptul cã subvenþiile naþionale (ajutoarele de stat) puteau fi considerate compatibile cu piaþa internã numai în mãsura în care promovau dezvoltarea economicã a acelor zone în care „standardele de viaþã erau foarte scãzute ºi în care se înregistra un ºomaj ridicat.“

Extinderile succesive au dus la creºterea decalajelor dintre regiuni, atât în ceea ce priveºte veniturile, cât ºi productivitatea, calitatea infrastructurii, etc. În 1975 a fost creat Fondul European pentru Dezvoltare Regionalã (FEDER).

FONDURILE EUROPENE ªI DEZVOLTAREA SUSTENABILÃ A ROMÂNIEI

52Lucian STROE

52 Inspector de concurenþã Direcþia de Monitorizare Teritorialã, Consiliul Concurenþei.

34

THE EUROPEAN FUNDS AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF ROMANIA

53Lucian STROE

54Abstract

European Union was created and developed on two different levels: territorial enlargement and economic, social and political integration. The increasing integration rate, according with the basic principles of economic integration theory, should lead to the growth of the GDP at community level and to the growth of the per capita revenues in every Member State. The catalytic agent, in this particular case, should be represented by the development of the competition between more and more competitive undertakings, which are acting on a more and more extended and competitive market.

Had been proved that the economic integration process can lead to the growing of the economic discrepancies between countries and regions, mainly because the capital aspires to concentrate itself in the more developed economic areas. The existence of these discrepancies endangers, on one hand, the integrity of the Internal Market and the Economic and Monetary Union and, on the other hand, is in contradiction with the solidarity principle, which must be obeyed if we want the European integration process to be continued.

Mainly, the Member States are the ones that have to implicate themselves in the decrement of the regional discrepancies which are still existing in 2007. From this point of view, the Romanian Constitution provides that the State is responsible for employment creation, social protection, training the employed personnel, development of the infrastructure, the assurance of access to the necessary information, supporting the research and development, as well as for the keeping clean the environment (articles 31, 32, 35, 41, 50 and 135).

Also, an important role has to be played by the European Community which, according with the provisions of articles 2 from EC Treaty, must promote, at the level of whole community territory, “a balanced and sustainable development, a high level of employment and social protection, the equality between genders, a sustainable and non-inflationist growing, a high level of competition and convergence of the economic performances, a high level of protection and amelioration of the environment, the growing of life's quality, the economic and social cohesion and the solidarity between Member States”.

This is the reason for which the Member States of the European Union actively participate to the development of a European regional policy, supported from community funds, structural funds and the Cohesion Funds. The purpose of this policy is not only to allow the simple redistribution of the resources, but also to assure the necessary conditions for the generation of new resources as a consequence of placing new investments in regions and in the subsequent communities.

Conceptually speaking, the necessity to reduce the discrepancies between regions is provided, for the first time, by the Rome Treaty, which also creates the first practical redistribution mechanism, respectively the European Social Fund (ESF). Moreover, the article 92.3 from the EC Treaty (actually article 87.3) provided the fact that the national incentives (State aid) could be considered compatible with the Internal Market only if they intended to promote the economic development of these areas where “the living standards were very poor and where the unemployment rate was very high.”

53 Competition inspector, Territorial Monitoring Directorate, Competition Council.54 Translated into English by Lucian Stroe.

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1. Fondurile europene – elemente caracteristice

Fondurile structurale, baza Politicii regionale europene, au cunoscut o evoluþie strâns legatã de extinderea Uniunii Europene, de problemele cu care aceasta s-a confruntat ºi de obiectivele ºi prioritãþile stabilite la un moment dat.

Pentru perioada de programare 2007 – 2013, baza legalã de constituire ºi aplicare a fondurilor europene este formatã din:<Regulamentul Consiliului nr. 1828/2006 – stabileºte

regulile generale de implementare a Regulamentului Consiliului nr. 1083/2006 – a fost modificat la data de 27 decembrie 2006;

<Regulamentul Consiliului nr. 1080/2006 privind Fondul European pentru Dezvoltare Regionalã;

<Regulamentul Consiliului nr. 1081/2006 privind Fondul Social European;

<Regulamentul Consiliului nr. 1083/2006 - prevederi generale privind Fondul European pentru Dezvoltare Regionalã, Fondul Social European ºi Fondul de Coeziune;

<Regulamentul Consiliului nr. 1084/2006 privind Fondul de Coeziune.

Fiecare dintre cele trei fonduri europene au destinaþii specifice:<Fondul European pentru Dezvoltare Regionalã -

este destinat promovãrii coeziunii economico-sociale ºi înlãturãrii dezechilibrelor prin susþinerea reconversiei economice, sprijinirea regiunilor industriale aflate în declin, a zonelor urbane în dificultate, precum ºi a celor dependente de pescuit sau servicii. Finanþeazã investiþiile productive, investiþiile în infrastructura de transport, educaþie, sãnãtate, telecomunicaþii, energie sau protecþia mediului, susþine dezvoltarea IMM-urilor;

<Fondul Social European - este destinat prevenirii ºi combaterii ºomajului ºi promoveazã integrarea

socialã a categoriilor defavorizate. Finanþeazã mãsuri active care au în vedere reintegrarea profesionalã a ºomerilor pe termen lung, a tinerilor, vârstnicilor ºi a persoanelor care au dificultãþi de integrare/reintegrare pe piaþa muncii. Susþine îmbunãtãþirea educaþiei ºi a sistemului de învãþãmânt general ºi profesional.

<Fondul de Coeziune - este destinat finanþãrii proiectelor de mediu ºi de infrastructurã în acele state în care PIB/locuitor este mai mic decât 90% din media comunitarã.

Principiile de aplicare ale fondurilor europene sunt:

<Principiul complementaritãþii, consistenþei, coordonãrii ºi al conformãrii – finanþarea acordatã din fondurile europene trebuie sã completeze asistenþa acordatã de autoritãþile naþionale sau regionale ºi trebuie sã fie complementarã celorlalte instrumente financiare pe care la are la dispoziþie Comunitatea în sprijinul îndeplinirii obiectivelor, cu respectarea politicilor ºi prioritãþilor stabilite la nivel european ºi la nivelul fiecãrui Stat Membru. Operaþiunile finanþate din fondurile europene trebuie sã respecte prevederile Tratatului CE, precum ºi pe cele ale celorlalte acte adoptate în baza acestuia, inclusiv prevederile în domeniul ajutorului de stat;

<Principiul programãrii – obiectivele fondurilor europene trebuie sã fie prezentate sub forma unor programãri multianuale, pornind de la identificarea prioritãþilor, continuând cu stabilirea modalitãþilor de finanþare ºi terminând cu definirea sistemului de management ºi control;

<Principiul parteneriatului - presupune realizarea de parteneriate la nivel local, naþional sau regional, între autoritãþile comunitare ºi cele naþionale, locale sau alte pãrþi interesate;

<Pr inc ip iu l imp lementãr i i t e r i to r i a le – implementarea programelor operaþionale cade în responsabilitatea Statelor Membre, în funcþie de

Fondul de Coeziune se introduce odatã cu punerea în aplicare a Tratatului UE, urmând sã contribuie la susþinerea proiectelor de transport ºi protecþie a mediului în statele cele mai sãrace ale UE.

Politica regionalã europeanã a dobândit noi dimensiuni în martie 2000, odatã cu adoptarea Strategiei de la Lisabona, care a stabilit „un nou obiectiv strategic pentru Uniune, în sensul creºterii gradului de angajare, realizãrii reformei economice ºi atingerii coeziunii sociale, ca parte a unei societãþi bazatã pe cunoaºtere.” Strategia îºi fixeazã ca obiectiv central transformarea Uniunii Europene în „cea mai competitivã ºi dinamicã economie bazatã pe cunoaºtere din lume, capabilã de o creºtere economicã sustenabilã ºi care sã genereze locuri de muncã mai bune ºi mai bine plãtite, asigurând astfel o mai bunã coeziune socialã.”

Definirea dezvoltãrii sustenabile ca o modalitate de a asigura necesitãþile prezentului fãrã a periclita ºansele generaþiilor viitoare de a-ºi asigura satisfacerea propriilor nevoi, a condus la completarea Strategiei de la Lisabona un an mai târziu, în iunie 2001, la Consiliul European de la Gothenburg, prin adãugarea unei noi dimensiuni, respectiv dimensiunea de protecþie a mediului.

Cuvinte cheie: fonduri structurale, coeziune, extindere, reglementãri, principii.

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1. European funds – definitory elements

Structural funds, foundation of the European regional policy, have been developed as a consequence of the European Union enlargement, observing the problems which characterized this evolution and considering those objectives and priorities established for a particular moment as the most appropriate solutions which can solve the raised problems.

For the period 2007 – 2013, the legal base for constituting and management of the European Funds is:<Council Regulation no 1080/2006 on the ERDF;<Council Regulation no 1081/2006 on the ESF;<Council Regulation no 1083/2006 laying down

general provisions on the ERDF, ESF and the Cohesion Fund;

<Council Regulation no 1828/2006 setting out rules for the implementation of Council regulation no 1083/2006 – was modified at December 27, 2006;

<Council Regulation no 1084/2006 establishing a Cohesion Fund.

Each of the three European Funds has a distinct target:<ERDF – its purpose is to promote the economic and

social cohesion and to eliminate the discrepancies between regions through economic reconversion, support for the industrial regions and cities placed in difficult situation because of the significant reduction of industrial activity, as well as for those regions which depends for their survivor by fishing or services industry. ERDF is also finances the productive investments, the investments in transport, education, health, communication, energy or environmental infrastructure and sustains the development of SMEs;

<ESF – its purpose is to prevent and eliminate the unemployment and to promote the social integration of the disadvantaged categories of workers. ESF is also financing active measures which are targeted on professional readmission on the labour market of the long-term unemployed persons, young or old persons and also disadvantaged people. ESF is also supporting the improvement of education and the general and professional education system;

<Cohesion Fund – its purpose is to finance the environmental and infrastructure projects in those states where the GDP/person is lower than 90% from the community average.

<The applicable principles for the management of the European Funds are:

<C o m p l e m e n t a r i t y ' s , c o n s i s t e n c e ' s , coordination's and conformation's principles – the financial support granted from European Funds must complete the assistance granted by the national or regional authorities and must be complementary with the other financial instruments which are used by the Community in order to achieve its objectives. The financial support granted from European Funds must agree with the policies and priorities set up at European and national level. The operations financed from the European Funds must respect the provisions of the EC Treaty, as well as those set up by other acts issued in appliance of EC Treaty, including those ones concerning the state aid rules;

<Programming principle – the European Funds' principles must embrace the form of a multi-annual program, starting with the priority's identification, continuing with the establishment of the financing

The consecutive extensions was determined the growth of the discrepancies between regions, both in the terms of revenues and in the terms of productivity or infrastructure's quality. In order to compensate these discrepancies, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was created in 1975.

The Cohesion Fund was established as a consequence of the issuing of the EU Treaty, with the purpose to contribute to the financing of the transport and environmental projects in the poorest states of the EU.

The European regional policy was re-enforced after March 2000, when the Lisbon Strategy was issued, and “a new strategic objective was established for the Union, materialized in a growth of the employment rate, economic reform and social cohesion, considered liked parts of a new knowledge based society.” The strategy establishes as central objective the conversion of the European Union in “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy, capable to achieve a sustainable economic growth and which can generate better and better paid working places, assuring a better social cohesion.”

Definition of the sustainable development as a modality to assure the present necessities without compromising the chances of the future generations to assure their own needs, determined the completion of the Lisbon Strategy a year later, in June 2001, at the European Council from Gothenburg by including a new dimension, respectively the environmental dimension.

Keywords: structural funds, cohesion, enlargement, regulations, principles.

37

sistemul instituþional funcþional în fiecare dintre acestea, cu respectarea prevederilor în domeniul fondurilor structurale;

<Principiul proporþionalitãþii – trebuie sã existe o proporþionalitate între resursele financiare ºi cele administrative implicate de Comisia Europeanã ºi de Statele Membre în implementarea fondurilor structurale, atât în ceea ce priveºte stabilirea indicatorilor relevanþi, controlul ºi managementul proiectelor sau evaluarea ºi raportarea rezultatelor;

<Principiul managementului în comun – managementul fondurilor structurale este exercitat în comun de cãtre Comisia Europeanã ºi Statele Membre, în sensul cã organismul comunitar îºi va exercita responsabilitãþile în ceea ce priveºte implementarea bugetului general al Uniunii prin verificarea existenþei ºi a funcþionãrii corespunzãtoare a sistemelor de management ºi control instituite de cãtre Statele Membre, având posibilitatea sã sisteze total sau parþial finanþarea programelor operaþionale derulate de un State Membru;

<Principiul adiþionalitãþii - presupune existenþa unei rate de co-finanþare programelor operaþionale obligatorie pentru Statul Membru, cu scopul de a se evita situaþiile în care fondurile comunitare sunt utilizate ca substituent al resurselor naþionale;

<Principiul egalitãþii ºi al nediscriminãrii – Statele Membre ºi Comisia Europeanã au obligaþia de a lua toate mãsurile necesare pentru evitarea oricãror discriminãri bazate pe sex, rasã, origine etnicã, religie, handicap, vârstã sau orientare sexualã pe toatã perioada de implementare a fondurilor structurale;

<Principiul dezvoltãrii sustenabile - obiectivele alocãrii fondurilor europene trebuie sã se subsumeze obiectivului central al Comunitãþii Europene, respectiv promovarea unei dezvoltãri sustenabile, în condiþiile protejãrii mediului înconjurãtor.

Domeniile care pot atrage finanþãri din fonduri europene sunt: cercetarea ºi dezvoltarea tehnologicã, informatizarea societãþii, sectoarele transport ºi energie, protecþia mediului, turismul, cultura, regenerarea urbanã ºi ruralã, întreprinderile mici ºi mijlocii, dezvoltarea antreprenoriatului, crearea ºi accesul fãrã discriminare la locuri de muncã stabile, incluziunea socialã a persoanelor defavorizate ºi cu dizabilitãþi, dezvoltarea capitalului uman ºi investiþiile în infrastructura socialã (inclusiv în cea de sãnãtate ºi educaþie).

Confruntatã cu probleme similare celor cu care s-au confruntat ºi se confruntã încã unele State Membre ale Uniunii Europene, România are posibilitatea sã

2. Probleme structurale ale economiei româneºti

acceseze, începând cu data de 1 ianuarie 2007, întreaga gamã de fonduri europene prezentate anterior.

Dintre toate cele 27 de State Membre ale Uniunii Europene, România este a ºaptea þarã ca mãrime. Din punct de vedere economic însã, România se aflã cu mult în urma majoritãþii Statelor Membre. Dacã ne raportãm la anul 2004, în România, PIB/locuitor a fost de 31% din media statelor din EU-25 ºi de 50% raportat la media indicatorului calculatã pentru cele 10 state est-europene aderate la Uniune în 2004.

Situaþia a fost generatã, într-o mare mãsurã, de schimbarea substanþialã a structurii industriale a României dupã 1990. Industria prelucrãtoare a înregistrat un declin constant, reflectat într-o scãdere masivã a ocupãrii, în special în industria oþelului, în industria chimicã ºi industria producãtoare de maºini. Agricultura a înregistrat, de asemenea, un declin, ceea ce a creat probleme majore în economia ruralã. Decalaje majore au fost înregistrate, atât între regiuni, cât ºi între mediul urban ºi cel rural. Rata ºomajului înregistratã în 2005 a fost relativ micã, de 7,2%, dar cifrele oficiale nu þin cont de ponderea mare a agriculturii de subzistenþã.

Ultimii ani au marcat totuºi o creºtere medie anualã a PIB de 5,7%, datoratã, în principal, investiþiilor fixe ºi consumului privat, alimentate de o creºtere semnificativã a volumului de credite acordate sectorului privat.

Dezvoltarea economiei româneºti necesitã intervenþii structurale majore pe termen lung. Pentru aceasta, pentru perioada de programare 2007 – 2013, României i-au fost alocate peste 30 miliarde Euro. Peste 11 miliarde Euro o reprezintã fondurile alocate pentru dezvoltarea agriculturii ºi a zonelor rurale. Suma totalã a Fondurilor Structurale ºi de Coeziune alocate României este de 19,668 miliarde Euro, din care 12,661 miliarde reprezintã Fonduri Structurale în cadrul Obiectivului „Convergenþã”, 6,552 miliarde Euro sunt alocate prin Fondul de Coeziune, iar 0,455 miliarde sunt alocate Obiectivului „Cooperare Teritorialã Europeanã”.

Dezvoltarea Resurselor Umane Asistenþã Tehnicã Regional Mediu

18,1%

0,9%

19,4%

23,5%

1,1% 13,3%

23,8%

Capacitate Administrativã Competitivitate Transport

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modalities and finishing with the definition of a management and control system;

<Partnership principle - is materialized in setting up local, national or regional partnerships, between community, national or local authorities or other interested parts;

<Territorial implementation principle – the effective implementation of the Operational Programs is the responsibility of the Member States, according with the institutional system which is in place in everyone of these and with the observance of the rules applicable for the Structural Funds;

<Proportionality principle – the financial and administrative resources used by the European Commission and the Member States for the management of Structural Funds must be proportional, as well as the setting up the relevant indicators, the control and management of projects or the evaluation or reporting the final results;

<Share management principle – the Structural Funds management is shared between the European Commission and the Member States, which is meaning that the community body will exercise its responsibilities in the field of the Union general budget implementation through the inspection of the existence and proper function of the management and control systems set up by the Member States. In appliance of this principle, the European Commission has the possibility to stop totally or partially the financing of the Operational Programs carried out by a Member State;

<Additionality principle – according with this principle, in order to avoid the situation when the Community Funds are used in order to substitute the national resources, there was set up a co-financing rate of the Operational Programs, which is mandatory for each Member State;

<Equality and indiscrimination principle – the Member States and the European Commission have the obligation to take all the necessary measures in order to avoid any kind of discriminations based on sex, race, ethnical origin, religion, handicap, age or sexual orientation for all implementation period of the Structural Funds;

<Sustainable development principle – the European Funds objectives must be subsequent to the central objective of the European Community, respectively the achieving of a sustainable development with respect for the existing natural environment.

The eligible domains for financing from European Funds are: research and technological development, IT technologies, transport, energy, environment, tourism, culture, urban regeneration, SME's, entrepreneurship development, creation and in discriminatory access to stable working places, social inclusion of the disadvantaged people, social inclusion of the people

with disabilities, development of human capital and investments in social infrastructure (including those ones in health and educational system).

Confronted with problems similar with those ones manifested in the past and which is still very actual in some Member States of the European Union, Romania has the opportunity to access, beginning with January 1, 2007, the whole range of European Funds previously presented.

From all 27 Member States of the European Union, Romania is the seventh country from the point of view of dimension. Despite of this, from the economic point of view, Romania is far below the majority of Member States. If we are considering the year 2004, in Romania, GDP/person was just 31% reported to the average value registered in EU-25 and just 50% from the average value estimated for those 10 Member States which joined the Union in 2004.

The situation was mainly generated by the substantial changes of the industrial structure in Romanian economy after 1990. The volume of manufacture industry decreased constantly, fact which was materialized in a massive decline of the employment, especially in the steel, chemical and auto sectors. Agriculture was also reduce its volume of activity, fact which generated serious problems in rural economy. Major discrepancies was also registered, both between regions and between urban and rural areas. The unemployment rate registered in 2005 was relatively low, 7.2%, but we must notice that the official data doesn't take into consideration the relatively high number of people which are activating in the agriculture sector.

Despite of this, in the last period, we can notice that Romania's GDP increased with an average rate by 5.7%/year, mainly because of the increasing volume of the investments in the civil construction sector and because of the increasing of private consumption, both influenced by the growing volume of banking loans granted in the private sector.

The development of the Romanian economy requests

2. Structural problems of Romanian economy

Human resource development Technical assistanceRegionalEnvironment

18,1%

0,9%

19,4%

23,5%

1,1% 13,3%

23,8%

Administrative capacity Competitivity Transport

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Evaluarea impactului macro-economic al fondurilor comunitare în România nu poate fi redus doar la valoarea absolutã a sumelor acordate. Programele ºi acþiunile structurale dezvoltate pornind de la sumele respective pot genera ºi susþine un proces de creºtere economicã durabilã, cel puþin în domeniul infrastructurii ºi mediului, al resurselor umane, o creºtere a coeziunii sociale prin dezvoltarea ruralã ºi dezvoltarea regionalã echilibratã. Efectul pozitiv al utilizãrii acestora este aºteptat a se manifesta sub forma creãrii de noi locuri de muncã, beneficii socio - economice (precum ameliorarea stãrii de sãnãtate, educaþie sau mediu), dezvoltarea unor noi atracþii turistice, expansiunea transportului regional ºi revigorarea platformelor industriale.Pentru gestionarea Fondurilor Structurale ºi de Coeziune a fost elaborat Cadrul Strategic Naþional de Referinþã, care identificã domeniile prioritare de acþiune ºi propune modalitãþi practice de acþiune:

<Reabilitarea infrastructurii – se vor realiza investiþii în infrastructurã, cu scopul de a îmbunãtãþi calitatea reþelelor de transport rutiere ºi feroviare ºi a navigaþiei pe Dunãre, cu efect asupra asigurãrii accesului la pieþe mai extinse, dezvoltãrii mediului de afaceri ºi creãrii de noi locuri de muncã. Investiþiile în infrastructura de mediu vor contribui la îmbunãtãþirea sistemelor de management al apei potabile ºi a deºeurilor menajere. Creºterea eficienþei energetice va îmbunãtãþi competitivitatea economicã ºi calitatea aerului ºi va sprijini dezvoltarea durabilã.

<Creºterea competitivitãþii economice – se vor crea ºi dezvolta noi afaceri, în special prin investiþii în produse ºi servicii de calitate, încurajarea inovãrii, precum ºi prin asigurarea accesului la finanþare ºi TIC. Întreprinderile mici ºi mijlocii vor beneficia de ajutoare pentru investiþii ºi vor fi sprijinite prin servicii de consiliere. Va fi, de asemenea, sprijinit turismul, care reprezintã o sursã importantã de dezvoltare.

<Dezvoltarea capitalului uman – se va sprijini sistemul de învãþãmânt ºi formare profesionalã, prin asigurarea accesului ºi participãrii la educaþie, precum ºi prin corelarea ofertei educaþionale cu bagajul de cunoºtinþe ºi aptitudini necesare funcþionãrii unei economii moderne ºi în plinã dezvoltare. Va fi modernizatã infrastructura educaþionalã ºi de formare, inclusiv prin dotarea cu echipamente ºcolare ºi TIC. Se vor derula acþiuni în vederea combaterii excluziunii sociale ºi a promovãrii incluziunii sociale a grupurilor vulnerabile, precum ºi a îmbunãtãþirii calitãþii serviciilor de sãnãtate.

<Creºterea capacitãþii administrative – se va îmbunãtãþi procesul de elaborare a politicilor,

planificãrii, furnizãrii ºi gestionãrii serviciilor furnizate de administraþia centralã ºi localã.

<Promovarea dezvoltãrii teritoriale echilibrate – se vor crea condiþiile necesare stimulãrii creºterii economice a regiunilor mai puþin dezvoltate, precum ºi pentru restructurarea zonelor rurale ºi urbane. Investiþiile se vor concentra pe consolidarea infrastructurii ºi stabilirea legãturilor locale cu reþelele naþionale, europene ºi inter-continentale care conecteazã România la pieþele internaþionale. Sprijinul acordat va contribui la consolidarea mediului de afaceri local ºi regional ºi la dezvoltarea patrimoniului natural ºi cultural în vederea sprijinirii turismului ºi dezvoltãrii mediului urban.

Pentru utilizarea corespunzãtoare a fondurilor structurale puse la dispoziþia României de cãtre Uniunea Europeanã în perioada 2007 – 2013, o importanþã deosebitã trebuie acordatã asigurãrii capacitãþii de absorbþie ºi factorilor care o influenþeazã:1. capacitatea de absorbþie macroeconomicã - definitã ºi mãsuratã în funcþie de PIB;2. capacitatea financiarã de absorbþie - definitã ca abilitatea de a co-finanþa programe ºi proiecte ale UE, de a planifica ºi garanta aceste contribuþii prin intermediul bugetelor multi-anuale, precum ºi de a colecta aceste contribuþii de la diferiþii parteneri interesaþi în derularea programelor sau proiectelor;3. capacitatea administrativã - definitã ca abilitatea autoritãþilor centrale ºi locale de a:<p r e g ã t i p l a n u r i , p r o g r a m e º i p r o i e c t e

corespunzãtoare;<decide asupra programelor ºi proiectelor;<asigurã co-ordonarea principalilor parteneri;<rãspunde cerinþelor administrative ºi de raportare;<finanþa ºi superviza în mod eficient modul de

implementare.

Dacã primii doi factori nu pot reprezenta decât consecinþa fireascã a creºterii gradului de dezvoltare economicã a þãrii, capacitatea administrativã poate fi îmbunãtãþitã prin reformarea sistemului în ansamblul sãu.

Principalele aspecte pe care un Stat Membru trebuie sã le aibã în vedere pentru asigurarea unei capacitãþi corespunzãtoare de absorbþie a fondurilor structurale sunt:<stabilirea cadrului legal, instituþional ºi bugetar;<pregãtirea Programului Naþional de Dezvoltare;<negocierea cu Comisia Europeanã a Cadrului de

Sprijin Comunitar ºi a Programelor Operaþionale,

3. Absorbþia fondurilor structurale în România

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major long-term structural investments. In order to achieve this, for the programming period of 2007 – 2013, Romania will benefit by over 30 billion Euro. Over 11 billion Euro is represented by the funds granted for the development of the agricultural sector and for the development of the rural areas. The total amount of Structural Funds and Cohesion Funds granted to Romania is 19.668 billion Euro, from which 12.661 billion Euro are representing Structural Funds granted under Convergence objective, 6.552 billion Euro are allocated from the Cohesion Fund and 0.455 billion Euro are allocated under the European Territorial Cooperation objective.

The estimation of the macro-economic impact of the community funds in Romania cannot be reduced just to the absolute value of the granted funds. The programs and the structural actions developed starting using the respective funds can generate and determine a sustainable economic growing process, at least in the fields of environment, infrastructure and human resources. Moreover, these programs can generate an increasing of the social cohesion as a consequence of the rural and regional equilibrated development. The positive effect of using these funds is expected to manifest under the form of creation of new working places and also under the form of reducing the rural population. Similarly, the positive effect will be materialized under the form of social and economic benefits, as the amelioration of the existing conditions in the fields of the health, environment or educational system. Finally, the funds will contribute to the development of new touristy attraction and will generate the expansion of the regional transport system and the rehabilitation of the industrial sites.

In order to properly manage the Structural and the Cohesion Funds, in Romania was issued the Reference National Strategic Framework (RNSF), which identified the foreground domains and proposed ways to practically implement the measures:<Rehabilitation of the infrastructure – will be

carried out investments in infrastructure, with the purpose of increasing the quality of roads and railways and the navigation on the Danube river, with a final effect over the assurance of the access to the more extended markets, development of the business environment and creation of new working places. The investments in environmental infrastructure will contribute to the amelioration of the drinkable water and wastes management systems. The amelioration of the energetic ef f ic iency wi l l increase the economic competitiveness and the quality of the air and will support a sustainable growth.

<Amelioration of the economic competitiveness – new businesses will be created and developed, especially through investments in quality products and services, supporting the innovation, as well as through assurance of the access to the financing and counseling services. Tourism, which represents a major source of development, will be also supported.

<Development of human capital – educational and training system will be supported through assurance of access and participation to the education, as well as through the correlation of the educational offer with the amounts of knowledge and abilities which are necessary for the proper function of a modern and fully developed economy. The educational and training infrastructure will be modernized, including through the purchasing of the scholastic and ICT equipments. Actions will be carried out in order to fight against the social exclusion and to promote the social inclusion of the vulnerable groups, as well as to develop the quality of health services.

<Increasing administrative capacity – will improve the planning and policies' issuing processes, and will also improve the management and the effective provision of the services in central and local administration.

<Promotion of a equilibrated territorial development – will be created all the necessary conditions for the economic growth of the less developed regions, as well as for the restructuring of the rural and urban areas. The investments will be concent ra ted over the in f ras t ructure ' s reinforcement and over the establishment of connections between local, national, European and inter-continental networks which are connecting Romania to the international markets. The granted support will contribute to the reinforcement of local and regional business environment and to the development of the natural and cultural inheritance with a view to promote tourism and the urban environment development.

In order to properly use the Structural Funds granted to Romania by the European Union in the period of 2007 – 2013, a major importance must be attached to the assurance of the absorption capacity and to those factors which are influencing the absorption capacity:1. macro-economic absorption capacity – defined and measured in terms of GDP;

3. Structural fund absorption in Romania

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elaborate de cãtre Statul Membru;<implementarea Programelor Operaþionale;<monitorizarea ºi evaluarea acestora.Pânã în prezent, România a asigurat îndeplinirea primelor douã aspecte, a negociat Cadrul de Sprijin Comunitar, este în faza finalã a aprobãrii Programelor Operaþionale, urmând ca în a doua jumãtate a anului 2007 sã demareze implementarea efectivã a acestora.

Trebuie menþionatã contribuþia deosebitã pe care au avut-o ºi continuã sã o aibã experþii Consiliului Concurenþei în domeniul acordãrii de consultanþã de specialitate în vederea elaborãrii Programelor Operaþionale, precum ºi în al schemelor de ajutor de stat care le vor implementa efectiv în practicã.

La Consiliul European din martie 2005 s-au afirmat ca obiective viitoare urmãtoarele: “Europa trebuie sã-ºi reînnoiascã baza competitivitãþii sale economice, sã-ºi sporeascã potenþialul de creºtere ºi productivitate ºi sã consolideze coeziunea socialã, punând un mai mare accent pe cunoaºtere, inovare ºi optimizarea capitalului uman”.

Investiþia în capitalul uman, respectiv în educaþie, formare ºi sãnãtate, vizeazã pe de o parte pregãtirea profesional-ºtiinþificã a resurselor umane disponibile, iar pe de altã parte, adaptarea resurselor umane la schimbãrile structurale ale economiei impuse de progresul tehnico-ºtiinþific, pe criterii de eficienþã.

Îndeplinirea obiectivelor Strategiei de la Lisabona este strict legatã de evoluþia pozitivã a capitalului uman. Nu se poate concepe o creºtere a competitivitãþii economiei româneºti ºi europene fãrã o forþã de muncã stabilã, bine plãtitã ºi bine pregãtitã, adaptatã progresului tehnologic ºi informaþional.

Reducerea decalajelor existente între economia româneascã ºi economiile celorlalte State Membre ale Uniunii Europene, respectiv reducerea decalajelor între regiunile de dezvoltare, nu este, de asemenea, posibilã fãrã asigurarea unei forþe de muncã capabile sã susþinã o economiei modernã ºi competitivã.

Problemele cu care se confruntã România în acest moment, în ceea ce priveºte capitalul uman ºi dezvoltarea sa, se referã la deficitul de personal calificat, dificultãþile de recrutare a forþei de muncã, productivitatea scãzutã a muncii, flexibilitatea ºi adaptabilitatea insuficiente sau climatul care

4. Dezvoltarea cu prioritate a resurselor umane – cheia creºterii competitivitãþii ºi a reducerii decalajelor în România

descurajeazã cooperarea ºi asumarea angajamentului personal.

Strategia de dezvoltare a resurselor umane în perioada 2007-2013 a identificat ºi se concentreazã cu precãdere spre eliminarea urmãtoarelor puncte slabe: < rate relativ ridicate de abandon ºcolar sau de pãrãsire

timpurie a ºcolii;< nivelul scãzut de adaptare a ofertelor educaþionale la

cererea de forþã de muncã;< reþea de furnizori de formare profesionalã insuficient

dezvoltatã;< inadecvarea ofertei de formare profesionalã la

cerinþele pieþei muncii;< nivelul scãzut al participãrii adulþilor la formare

profesionalã continuã;< cultura antreprenorialã limitatã ºi mobilitatea scãzutã

pe piaþa muncii;< ponderea mare a populaþiei ocupate în agriculturã;< rata crescutã a ºomajului ºi mai ales a celui de lungã

duratã în rândul tinerilor;< servicii de îngrijire a persoanelor dependente

insuficient dezvoltate;< integrarea scãzutã pe piaþa muncii ºi participarea

redusã la educaþie a persoanelor aparþinând grupurilor vulnerabile.

De aceea, Programul Operaþional Sectorial Dezvoltarea Resurselor Umane urmãreºte extinderea investiþiilor în capitalul uman prin modernizarea educaþiei iniþiale ºi continue, creºterea competenþelor resurselor umane din educaþie, încurajarea adaptabilitãþii lucrãtorilor ºi întreprinderilor, creºterea participãrii la formare profesionalã continuã, modernizarea Serviciului Public de Ocupare, promovarea mãsurilor active de ocupare pentru persoanele aflate în cãutarea unui loc de muncã ºi creºterea integrãrii pe piaþa muncii a persoanelor aparþinând grupurilor vulnerabile.

Pentru îndeplinirea acestor obiective, Programul Operaþional Sectorial Dezvoltarea Resurselor Umane beneficiazã de o alocare din Fondul Social European de 3,476 milioane Euro, care reprezintã 84,02% din totalul Programului. Restul de 15,98% îl constituie contribuþia naþionalã, aproximativ 661 milioane Euro.

Analiza intervenþiilor susþinute în cadrul celor 6 Axe Prioritare ºi alocãrile financiare corespunzãtoare, relevã ca prioritãþi urmãtoarele: promovarea învãþãrii pe tot parcursul vieþii ºi a adaptabilitãþii forþei de muncã ºi a întreprinderilor care deþine o pondere de aproximativ 40% din totalul alocãrii (Axele prioritare 2 ºi 3), promovarea mãsurilor active de ocupare ºi a incluziunii sociale pentru grupurile vulnerabile pe piaþa muncii 33% (Axele prioritare 4, 5 ºi 6), iar

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2. financial absorption capacity – defined like the ability to co-finance EU programs and projects, to plan and guarantee these contributions using the multi-annual budgets, as well as to collect these contributions from different partners interested in the development of the programs and projects;3. administrative capacity – defined like the ability of the central and local authorities to:<issue proper plans, programs and projects;<decide over the programs and projects;<assure the effective co-ordinance of the main

partners;<conform themselves to the administrative and

reporting requests;<finance and effective supervise the implementing

methods.

In the situation when first two factors can represent only a normal consequence of growing the economic development rate, the administrative capacity could be improved by reforming the whole system. The main aspects which must be took into consideration by a Member State in order to be able to assure a proper absorption capacity for the Structural Funds are:<establishment of a legal, institutional and budgetary

framework;<issuing the National Development Program;<negotiation of the Community Support Framework

and Operational Programs issued by the Member State' bodies with the European Commission;

<effective implementation of the Operational Programs;

<monitoring and evaluation of these Operational Programs.

Until now, Romania fulfilled only first three steps, five Operational Programs had been approved until now. In the second part of 2007 will begin the effective implementation of all these Operational Programs.

Must be mentioned the remarkable contribution of the Competition Council's experts in the field of offering professional consultancy to the Management Authorities in order to issue the Operational Programs, as well as the state aid scheme which will implement them in practice effectively.

The participants to the European Council from March 2005, emphasized like main objectives for the future the following ones: “Europe must recreate the base of its economic competitiveness, to increase its growing

4. Prior development of the human resources – the key of success in terms of growing the competitiveness and reducing the discrepancies between regions in Romania

potential and its productivity and to reinforce the social cohesion, putting more accent on knowledge, innovation and the optimization of the human capital”.

The investment in human capital, respectively in education, training and health, is oriented, on one side, on the professional and scientific training of the existing human resources and, on the other side, on the adjustment of the human resources to the structural changes of the economy, changes which are correlated with the technical and scientific progress, using the efficiency criteria.

The fulfillment of the Lisbon Strategy's objectives is strictly linked by the positive evolution of the human capital. It cannot be considered an effective growth of t h e R o m a n i a n a n d E u r o p e a n e c o n o m i c competitiveness without a stable, well paid and well trained workforce and without its proper adaptation to the technological and informational progress.

The reduction of the existing discrepancies between Romanian economy and the economies of the other Member States, respectively the reduction of the discrepancies registered between the development regions here in Romania is not possible, also, without the existence of a workforce able to sustain a modern and competitive economy.

The actual Romania's problems concerning human capital and its development, are referring to the existing deficit of qualified personnel, to the difficulties in recruitment of workforce, to the low working productivity, flexibility and adaptability or to the existing climate which is not proper for the cooperation and for the personnel engagement.

The human resources strategy for 2007 – 2013 identified and it is concentrated over the elimination of the following weak points:<relatively high rates of scholar retirement or early

school living;<low correlation between the educational offer and

the market necessities;<insufficient number of professional training

providers;<luck of correlation between the training offer and

the requests from the labor market;<low level of participation of the adults to the

continuous professional training;<limited entrepreneurial culture and low mobility on

the labor market;<high number of people working in the agricultural

sector;<high rate of unemployment, especially of the long-

term unemployment between the youngest persons;

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intervenþiile la nivel de sistem de educaþie ºi formare profesionalã în sprijinul creºterii economice ºi al dezvoltãrii societãþii bazate pe cunoaºtere 22% (Axa prioritarã 1).

Când un proiect este beneficiazã atât de finanþare din fonduri europene, cât ºi de cofinanþare provenind din surse ale statului, trebuie sã se verifice atât respectarea regulilor de ajutor de stat, cât ºi a celor privind fondurile comunitare. Legislaþia în domeniul ajutorului de stat poate limita în anumite situaþii aplicarea legislaþiei de reglementare a fondurilor europene în termeni de domenii eligibile pentru finanþare, costuri eligibile ale proiectelor, nivelul finanþãrii din surse publice ºi al contribuþiei beneficiarilor finali, procedurii de autorizare, platã ºi monitorizare.

Mai mult, ultimele precizãri ale experþilor europeni indicã faptul cã fondurile europene trebuie luate în considerare la calculul intensitãþilor maxime admisibile

5. Fondurile europene ºi ajutorul de stat

a ajutorului de stat ºi trebuie sã respecte regulile de cumul.

În acest context, colaborarea dintre autoritãþile implicate în gestionarea fondurilor structurale (ministere, autoritãþi de management sau organisme intermediare) ºi personalul de specialitate din cadrul Consiliului Concurenþei este extrem de importantã. Eforturile comune depuse pânã în prezent s-au concretizat în definirea formelor finale ale Programelor Operaþionale ºi în elaborarea de proiecte de scheme de ajutor de stat în vederea implementãrii acestora. Implementarea efectivã a acestora pune autoritãþile române în faþa unor noi provocãri, referitoare atât la susþinerea schemelor de ajutor de stat în faþa Comisiei Europene, la absorbþia unei pãrþi cât mai substanþiale a fondurilor puse la dispoziþie, cât ºi la gestionarea eficientã ºi corectã a acestora, pentru reducerea decalajelor acumulate în ultimii 17 ani.

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<insufficient development of the assistance services for the dependent persons;

<low level of integration on the labor market and low level of participation to the education of the persons from the vulnerable groups.

Because of these, the Sectoral Operational Program for Human Resource Development is aimed on the extension of the investments in human capital through the modernization of the initial and continuous education, increasing of the human competencies as a result of a proper education, encouragement of the workers and undertakings adaptability, increasing of the participation to the continuous professional education, modernization of the Public Employment Service, promotion of active employment measures put in place for the persons which are looking for a working place and increasing the integration on the labor market of the persons from the vulnerable groups.In order to achieve these objectives, the Sectoral Operational Program for Human Resource Development is benefiting by an allocation from the European Social Fund consisting in 3.476 million Euro, which is representing 84.02% from the whole program. The rest of 15.98% is represented by the national contribution, almost 661 million Euro.

The analysis of all interventions supported by those 6 Priority Axes and the correspondent financial allocations identifies like priorities the following aspects: promotion of long-time learning, growing the workforce and undertakings adaptability - almost 40% of total funds (Priority axes 2 and 3), promotion of active employment and social inclusion of the vulnerable groups of people – 33% of total funds (Priority axes 4, 5 and 6) and support for the educational and training system with the purpose of sustaining economic growth and developing the knowledge based society – 22% of total funds (Priority axe 1).

5. Correlation between the European funds and state aid

When a project is financed both from European Funds and from Member State sources, it must be verified both for complaining with the State Aid rules and with the rules in the field of Community Funds' management. The rules in the field of State Aid can limit, in some situations, the appliance of the legislation in the field of European Funds' management in terms of selecting eligible financing domains, eligible costs of projects, amount of public source financing and amount of final beneficiaries own contribution, authorizing, payment and monitoring procedures.

Moreover, the last observation made by the European experts indicates that the European Funds must be considered when we estimate the maximum admissible level of State aid intensity and must obey the cumulating rules.

In this context, the collaboration between the authorities involved in the management of Structural Funds (ministries, management authorities and intermediary bodies) and the experts from the Competition Council is extremely important. The common efforts carried out until now was materialized in the finalizing the final forms of the Operational Programs and in issuing the draft State Aid schemes having like final effect the effective implementation of these programs. The effective implementation puts the Romanian authorities in front of a new challenge, concerning the assertion of the State Aid schemes in front of the European Commission, the absorption of a significant part of the granted funds and also the efficient and correct management of them.

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