Current conditions in Romania, as an EU member since 2007, register large differences in socioeconomic development regarding to the founding countries. They have determined the need for a study on adaptation to EU directives aimed at sustainable economic development. This study will try to highlight how the integration of sustainable development policies as mandatory for setting up an agricultural cooperative can be a favorable factor and shorten the process of adapting the new structure to the changing European economy. Romania has shortcomings both in the chapter of sustainable economy and that of the establishment of agricultural cooperatives. This kind of structures is considered to be the global food security solution for a growing population. However, the environment degradation level, especially in rural Romanian is not very advanced, and the ability of the population to absorb information is very high. Also, the learning process of the cooperative principles based on the European model is only at the beginning in Romania and the number of agricultural cooperatives existing in this country, at last count, was only 66. The authors want to demonstrate that the integration of the sustainable development in agricultural cooperatives operating principles while the Romanian rural population is only now learning the cooperative regulations can represent a shortcut meant to catch up for some of the years that Romania has behind western Europe. The work methodology will consist of a feasibility study, starting from the structure recommended by the Romanian Agency for Funding Rural Investment to create an agricultural cooperative in the Romanian rural area. In this study, the environmental policies have major importance so as to demonstrate that the possibility of creating such a cooperative is valid, regardless of the implementation region and that it may be a solution to fill the gaps between regions.
