188Sustainable Development strategy of business envi<strong>ro</strong>nment f<strong>ro</strong>m Dolj, Olt, Pleven, Vidin and Montana regionImplemented p<strong>ro</strong>jects Partners General objectivesThe increase of management capacityand reaction of c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>rregion in case of natural disastersAccess Infrastructure imp<strong>ro</strong>vementat c<strong>ro</strong>ssing point Calafat-VidinCounties f<strong>ro</strong>m Romania-Bulgariabor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>rtowns Calafat and CiuperceniiVechiCreation of a joint and harmonizedsystem of monitoring, informationand alarming as regards the managementof emergencies situationsas result of natural disasters andacci<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ntal pollution in Dolj, Vidin,Vratsa and Montana regionAccess Infrastructure imp<strong>ro</strong>vementin Calafat-Vidin th<strong>ro</strong>ugh rehabilitationof a <strong>ro</strong>ad sector of 3,4 km locatedon county <strong>ro</strong>ad DJ 553 whichmakes the cpnnection betweenCalafat and Cipercenii VechiF<strong>ro</strong>m the commercial exchanges point of vu at the end of 2010, the Bulgaria balance in exterior commerceof Romania was 3,3%, f<strong>ro</strong>m which the export balance was 3,6% , and the one of import is 3,1% . Thedynamic of commercial exchanges (in million Eu<strong>ro</strong>) is presented, as follows:2007 2008 2009 2010Total 1547,4 2366,4 2036,4 2777,0Export 941,1 1390 1094,2 1337,3Import 606,3 976,4 942,2 1439,7Sold 334,8 413,6 152,00 -102,4In Romania were registered 1261 Romanian – Bulgarian mix companies, with a total invested capital of29,49 million Eu<strong>ro</strong>, Bulgaria occupying place 39 among foreign investors present in our country.The Romanian investments in Bulgaria totalized in 2010 149,1 million EURO, presently being registeredover 1400 enterprises with Romanian-Bulgarian mix capital.Mac<strong>ro</strong>regional ContextThe envisaged region th<strong>ro</strong>ugh the present strategy is influenced by the Danube, f<strong>ro</strong>m the transportation pointof vu, energetic potential and management of water quality. F<strong>ro</strong>m this perspective, we have at the Eu<strong>ro</strong>pean envisagedregion by the Danube Strategy, recently app<strong>ro</strong>ved at Eu<strong>ro</strong>pean level 10 . Therefore, the Eu<strong>ro</strong>pean Union Strategyfor the Danube Region is and Romanian-Austrian initiative, an innovative mo<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>l at mac<strong>ro</strong>-regional level, that implementsa new concept of territorial cohesion inclu<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>d in the Lisbon Treaty and which facilitates the regional <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopmentof States near the Danube 11 .The Priority domains f<strong>ro</strong>m the Eu<strong>ro</strong>pean Union Strategy for Danube Region were allocated as responsibility tothe member states, each one receiving the coordination responsibility.. Thus, Romania received attributions for thepriority domains: transport (the navigation part – together with Austria); p<strong>ro</strong>motion of culture and tourism (togetherwith Bulgaria); management of envi<strong>ro</strong>nment risks (together with Hungary).The strategy contains an action plan based on four pillars:I. Connecting the Danube region (e.g. imp<strong>ro</strong>ve mobility, p<strong>ro</strong>motion of sustainable energetic policy, and culture andtourism)The pillar regarding the interconnection of Danube region has consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>red the priority <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment of transportinfrastructure. This priority inclu<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>s a set of measures regarding the <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment and mo<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>rnization ofrailways, <strong>ro</strong>ads and harbour infrastructure, at connections over the Danube th<strong>ro</strong>ugh bridges and ferryboats, atnavigation <strong>ro</strong>utes and systems. It is also consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>red the functional links in or<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r to support the logistics (terminaland intermodal), security and safety of transports.Participation of Danube regions f<strong>ro</strong>m Romania ad Bulgaria to the Danube Strategy is important at mac<strong>ro</strong> regionallevel consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ring the openness for cooperation in the economic, social and cultural areas and the potential of partnershipswith other Eu<strong>ro</strong>pean mac<strong>ro</strong> regions. The opportunities regarding an imp<strong>ro</strong>ved transport and communica-10 Iunie 201111 Țările care participă la Strategia Dunării sunt: Germania (landurile Ba<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>n-Württemberg și Bavaria), Austria, Ungaria, RepublicaCehă, Slovacia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, România, C<strong>ro</strong>ația, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Muntenegru, Moldova și Ucraina.
Sustainable Development strategy of business envi<strong>ro</strong>nment f<strong>ro</strong>m Dolj, Olt, Pleven, Vidin and Montana region 189tion can offer an increased flexibility of labour market at regional level. It is also expected following an a<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>quatetransport and communication infrastructure, also to increase the number of companies with mix capital.F<strong>ro</strong>m the point of vu of energetic domain, the strategy envisage those initiatives that could facilitate the integrationat the c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r region th<strong>ro</strong>ugh contour of a c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r network of transportation an electric energy,mo<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>rnization of the regulations framework in the sector starting f<strong>ro</strong>m the joint p<strong>ro</strong>blems i<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ntified at regionallevel, pilote and then extension of ”plants” that can use the photovoltaic energy potential at regional level.Romania <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>clared the interest to <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velop the regional market of energy, as the biggest p<strong>ro</strong>ducer of energyf<strong>ro</strong>m the Balkan area, with an important export potential (the only country f<strong>ro</strong>m the region that p<strong>ro</strong>motes anoperator that manages the internal market of electric energy).Potential initiatives that can offer expected results in this regard and can involve the business envi<strong>ro</strong>nmentf<strong>ro</strong>m the region are:• Implementation of logistic solutions of intermodal transportation of cargo type all over the Danube;• Development of information systems and networks that can manage the traffic on the Danube;• Encouragement of public-private partnerships initiatives for <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment and management of new waysof transportation between the two countries – c<strong>ro</strong>ssing with the ferryboat at Oreahovo and the new bridgeCalafat – Vidin;• Organisation of public transportation services for passengers along the Danube;• P<strong>ro</strong>jects that consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r the <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>crease of electric energy <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>pen<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>nce both in resi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>nce sectors and industrial ones.II. P<strong>ro</strong>tecting the Envi<strong>ro</strong>nment in the Danube Region (e.g. including water quality, risk prevention, biodiversity& landscape)Priorities are consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>red the measures that envisage the planning and integrated management of closerareas – envi<strong>ro</strong>nment infrastructure p<strong>ro</strong>jects: waste water treatment plant, efficient management of wastes,water treatment, sewerage. In the same time, are consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>red very important the initiatives of biodiversity preservationand maintaining the envi<strong>ro</strong>nment balance and implementation of sustainable <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment principles.The business sector at the region level can found <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment opportunities th<strong>ro</strong>ugh initiatives of envi<strong>ro</strong>nmentinfrastructure <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment, but it will need to adapt also to the obligations of preservation of envi<strong>ro</strong>nmentquality th<strong>ro</strong>ugh renewing and <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment of used technologies. Also, there is a need of a<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>quate campaigns ofpopulation awareness and business envi<strong>ro</strong>nment regarding the importance of these measures on long term forthe local and regional <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment.III. Building P<strong>ro</strong>sperity in the Danube Region: (e.g. including knowledge, education, invest in people and skills)Priorities have consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>red the innovation-research sector, scientific exchange between c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r partner,creation of research and innovation centres and research p<strong>ro</strong>grammes. It can be <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>veloped initiatives forcooperation between the universitary centres and learning institutions and research-innovation, facilitation ofpublic-private partnershipsIV. Strengthening the Danube Region (e.g. institutional capacity and cooperation, security and safety).Among the major benefits of the Romania participation to this p<strong>ro</strong>gramme, including the analysed region, wemention:• Obtaining economic advantages th<strong>ro</strong>ugh closed business partnerships and cooperation between the publicand private sector;• Organization of annual economic forums;• Attracting investments in strategic areas like transport, envi<strong>ro</strong>nment and energy infrastructures.• Development of life quality, th<strong>ro</strong>ugh increase of competitiveness and attractiveness of towns and villagesat the Danube.It is not about an extra financing p<strong>ro</strong>gramme f<strong>ro</strong>m the EU, but the creation of a framework to fructify thefinancial support already available th<strong>ro</strong>ugh the cohesion policy (a<strong>ro</strong>und 100 milliards Eu<strong>ro</strong>), specific p<strong>ro</strong>grammes.The Danube Strategy context can offer for the analysed region a favourable framework for cluster <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopmentin the industrial sector at regional level which will impact the <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment of business envi<strong>ro</strong>nment at the c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>rlevel th<strong>ro</strong>ugh the creation possibilities of business and information centres, establishment of joint information systemsthat comprise relevant socio-economic indicators for the priority economic sectors at regional level.It is expected that in the mac<strong>ro</strong> regional context to be favour the innovation and initiatives that increasecompetitiveness of the region, going until the creation of potential research centre in the c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r area.Intervention of strategic nature planned and implemented are found at different levels, all being correlated withEu<strong>ro</strong>pean strategic objectives th<strong>ro</strong>ugh the reduction of interregional objectives at the level of 27 member states.At the moment of elaboration of national strategic documents regarding he <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>velopment (2005-2006), it wasnot consi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>red the regional level created between the two member states (represented today by the envisaged regionsth<strong>ro</strong>ugh the c<strong>ro</strong>ss-bor<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>r p<strong>ro</strong>grammes), even if, in 2002 it was built eu<strong>ro</strong>-region ”Eu<strong>ro</strong>Danube” th<strong>ro</strong>ugh a partnershipsigned between Dolj county (County Council and Prefecture) and Bulgarian districts Vratsa, Vidin and Montana.On the pillar <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>dicated to regional impact strategies, we analyse at the South West Oltenia Region level theavailable strategic planned documents, envisaging a larger geographical area at Romania level, formed of other 5counties outsi<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>de</st<strong>ro</strong>ng> Dolj and Olt.The knowledge of main elements comprised in the region strategy in which is framed Dolj county (as Roma-