Absorption of the structural funds in Romania

The European structural policy was directed towards consolidating the specific objectives of narrowing the regional disparities, an ample process of negotiation for the allocation of the structural funds to the new member states, Romania included. In Romania there is a need to disseminate the positive practices of EU member states in implementing the structural policies, and an urge to evaluate the progress in absorbing the structural funds and to identify the adequate measures to remedy the deficiencies noticed in the operational programs. This study gives an overall image of the allocation of structural funds for the new EU member states, Romania included, describes the absorption of the structural funds in Romania in 2009 and reviews the blockages and the solutions proposed for the absorption of these funds. The standard pattern of analysis which we used is a radiography of the actual situation, but further investigations are needed in order to identify the optimal solutions to accomplishing better results in the absorption of structural funds in Romania.