REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN ROMANIA - REALITIES AND PERSPECTIVES

Territorial economic development leads to gaps of center-periphery type as well as accumulation of tensions which may manifest at social, demographic and cultural level, having an impact on the quality of life. The gaps are obvious even in the most developed economies of the world, so it is important to know which is the admissible level of these gaps and what are the mechanisms by which the policy of cohesion and solidarity can contribute to a harmonious and sustainable development, while preserving the local characteristics and not an uniformity and egalitarianism unacceptable for a democratic state. Romania is a national, sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible state and it administratively consists of 41 counties plus Bucharest, corresponding NUTS 3. By grouping several counties, eight development regions (NUTS 2) and four macro-regions (NUTS 1) were formed. Territorial economic development has led to the existence and intensification of gaps, thus it is very important to reduce and manage them by implementing coherent programs designed for continuous and sustainable growth at regional level.