STRUCTURAL FUNDS’ USE BY THE SME SECTOR IN ROMANIA – STRUCTURAL EXPECTATIONS, DIFFICULTIES AND IMPACTS

While the process of strategic planning at the level of the European Union and the Member States incorporates a strong support component for the creation of growth and jobs in the SME sector, and the financial setup is put in place both through EU and national instruments, it is relevant to understand the extent to which these policies and financial instruments can ensure a genuine, sustainable effect on the activity of microenterprises. The paper is divided in four parts. The first part presents the facets of the Romanian National Strategic Reference Framework which refer directly and indirectly to the policy measures and financial support for the SMEs. The second part refers to the technical aspects (mechanisms, results, impacts) associated to project financing for SMEs, both in the implementation period and in the phase of operating the investment. The third part refers to the financial aspects (sources of financing and cash flow management) incurred by the implementation and operation of projects addressing the SMEs sector. The fourth part collects main conclusions on the issues discussed and groups them around some topics of discussion: the actual need for structural funds in the SMEs sector versus the opportunity hunting; the short term effects versus the long term impact; the risks versus the benefits of resorting to structural funds; the structural versus volatile effect at macroeconomic level in terms of economic growth and job creation.