Rural Romanian Education

This chapter presents an overview of the Romanian rural education system with an emphasis on the projects implemented in the rural areas, foreign language teaching being a major part of these projects in this sector which, among other shortcomings, is affected by a serious shortage of qualified teaching staff. It examines the recent developments in the educational rural process highlighting the education policies adopted by the Romanian government as part of the intergration program in the European Union. As well as describing the present state of this educational component, it proposes a number of solutions to the identified issues that could be put into practice for the benefit of the system.

Solar Energy Potential as Support for Sustainable Development of Romanian Economy

Energetic resources represent one of the most important factors in the process of consolidation of competitive market economy, having also a very important role in assuring the functionality of the economic system components. The decline of oil and gas production imposes the necessity to identify and implement new energy sources. Another reason to identify new energy sources is the pollution that is generated by the fossil fuel burn. The chapter presents a methodology about the solar energy potential evaluation for Romania. As a result of the tax incentives that are offered to investors in renewable energy, many projects were developed in Romania in the recent years, especially about wind and solar energy. But many projects have been done without a realistic assessment of potential wind or solar energy, as the consulting firms had presented an exaggerated image of the financial potential of these investments.

Changing Consumption Patterns in Green Economy

This chapter has considered the recent changes occurring in consumer habits, aiming to highlight the link between them and the transition to a green economy. In the first part, after a brief introduction, the authors perform a review of the literature in the field, starting from the presentation of the concept of sustainable consumption. They start with the major changes in the social current economic environment and their impact on changes of the consumption patterns; they continue with the presentation of the changes of the consumption pattern in the European Union and the specific aspects of the current changes of the consumption patterns in Romania. Thus, the authors aim to identify the key features of the New European Consumer.

Romanian Rural Tourism in the Context of Sustainable Development

Tourism, in all its activities, is dependent on the environment, and by exploiting its resources, products are created, creating a significant added value. But all this must take into account the rational use of natural resources with risk of depletion or degradation and the ability to achieve a decent standard of living for future generations, with an equitable distribution of general or specific revenue. Based on these considerations, the aim of this chapter is to assess the evolution of touristic infrastructure both in time and in terms of regional distribution. To estimate the tourism supply of Romanian rural tourism accommodation, the main statistical indicators used were the number of agro tourist boarding houses, the existing accommodation capacity, and the accommodation capacity in operation, their territorial concentration, and the way in which the results are strategic levers in the regional development of Romania.

The Reform of EU Economic Governance

The main objective of this chapter is to explore and describe the EU's management of the economic and financial crisis, the leading role of the European Council in economic governance, the governmental and parliamentary institutions involved in EU economic governance, and the democratic character of the new system of economic governance. Applying new conceptual and methodological approaches, this study advances to the next level research on the political relevance of EU-level coordination in the area of economic governance, the new governance of fiscal discipline, the dynamic of building sovereignty at the EU level, and the economic governance of the Euro area. This chapter discusses the major trends in scholarship about the evolution of EU economic governance, the changing decision-making agenda of EU economic governance, the deficiencies in EU economic governance exposed by the crisis, and the slowness of the European measures on the regulation and governance of finance. The authors is specifically interested in how previous research investigated the categorization and exercise of EU competences, the economic government of the Euro area, supranational modes of policymaking, and the tendency of EU economic governance towards intergovernmental policy coordination.

Improved Irrigation Management for Sustainable Agriculture

Studying the future of food and farming, scientists have called for sustainable intensification to simultaneously raise yields and increase efficiency in the use of inputs and reduce the negative environmental effects of food production. Sustainable intensification requires sustainable agricultural techniques such as improved water management practices that result in higher, stabilized, and diversified agricultural production, and greater resilience to climate change without the deterioration of natural resources and the environment. This chapter is devoted to the role of irrigation development in Serbian agriculture and its contribution to the development of the green economy in the Republic of Serbia.

Territorial and Agricultural Resources from the Rural Vrancea Area with Decisive Role in the Development of the Local Economy

Vrancea County is a predominantly rural area in which natural components are harmoniously combined in three major relief steps, which require a specific functional zoning from the economy point of view. Given the fact that mineral resources are found in limited quantities, the solution to the economic development of local communities in rural areas is the rational use of land resources and agriculture and zootechnic sector development, to which it can be also added the tourist resources, so as to exceed the subsistence level and to add extra value to the local area. This chapter focuses on the analysis of qualitative and quantitative indicators that reflect the current state of the resources of the land and agricultural background, their evolution over time, but also try to explain as more realistic the current status of the Vrancea motherland in a county and regional context.

Soil Moisture as One of the Limiting Factors in the Production of Medicinal Plants

On small production lots on which medicinal plants are grown, irrigation systems of a smaller capacity (“drip, drip” and “sprinkling” systems) are mainly used. The water for irrigation should be in keeping with the national and the potential European quality standards, and should be as “free” as possible of potential pollutants, such as feces, heavy metals, pesticides, and toxicologically hazardous matters. Therefore, in this chapter, several priority MAPs are selected according to their importance for this sector, and their needs are analyzed in drought and irrigation conditions. In this group of plants, the authors included the following: marshmallow (Althaea officinalis L.), peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.), lovage (Levisticum officinale Koch), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.), marigold (Calendula officinalis L.), and basil (Ocimum basilicum L.).

The Influence of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on Development of the Agricultural Production Structures in Romania and EU-28

Agriculture represents without any debate a fundamental economic sector, with significant implication in achieving not only the food safety standards for a growing population, but also in promoting rural communities' cultural values and providing good living standards and revenues for farmers and rural population. In this context the evolution of agricultural production structures represent a major concern for all decision-makers involved in this sector. Achieving competitive results in valuing the agricultural potential impose a great convergence between inland agricultural policies and the Common Agricultural Policy in order to integrate the best measures in designing an economically efficient agricultural structure. The chapter aims to analyze the evolution of some of the agricultural production structures under the Common Agricultural Policy reform and the pressure to adapt and achieve the most functional decision in a better valorization of the inland agricultural potential.

Territorial-Based Marketing Strategies for Typical Agro-Food Products

Geographical brands are one of the most relevant competitive levers in the agro-food industry, given the predominance of small and medium enterprises, with corporate brand salience closely linked to the origin of the business, the inputs, and the production process. They are one of the most significant attributes affecting the product evaluation by the consumer. This chapter aims to contribute to the understanding of the effects of geographical indications on demand side and on supply side. It summarizes the main findings highlighted by scholars about the impact of geographical indications on consumers' choice and on business and territorial strategies. It also examines the interconnections between geographical indications, agro-food products, and territorial reputation by analyzing four case studies. Best practices are linked to the communication of intangible elements related to the typical product, such as credibility, authenticity, warranty, and preservation of social and economic values.