Opportunities, Challenges and Results of the Regionalization Process in the Romanian Water Sector

One of the specific objectives of the Sectoral Operational Programme Environment SOP ENV is to Improve the quality and access to water and wastewater infrastructure, by providing water supply and wastewater services in most urban areas by 2015 and by setting efficient regional water and wastewater management structures. (Priority Axis 1 – Water: regional projects). In order to implement the investments needed to comply with the relevant EU environmental directives for improving the quality of water services and environment, the regional operators have access to the EU Funds from the current programming period 2007-2013. For the Priority Axis 1 the allocated funds raise up to 2,78 billion Euros from Cohesion Funds and 0,49 Billion Euros from national co-financing. The paper presents a comparative approach of current status of the regionalization process in the water sector in Romania as well main problems encountered by the regionalization process, in general and the regional operators, in particular, presenting some solutions and success factors in the regionalization process in the Romanian water sector.