The modernization of rural infrastructure under the measure 322 of the national rural development programme 2007-2013

Abstract

In the context in which rural areas represent 92% of the EU territory and gather over 50% of the EU population, and many rural areas face significant challenges such as migration and aging, reduced access to services, poor infrastructure or reduced employment opportunities, the concerns for rural development and improved quality of life in these areas have increased. Rural development is one of the strategic objectives of the European Union, which is pointed out by the consistent financial allocations: over a third of the total available funds at EU level between 2007 and 2013, and an estimated 38% for 2014-2020. The main institutional mechanism to support the development of rural areas in Romania was represented by the implementation of the National Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (NRDP) financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. In the absence of other major government initiatives for rural development, the absorption of EU funds has been the main funding opportunity after 2007, for the initiatives of modernizing the Romanian rural areas. Based on a mix of secondary data analysis and the analysis of official documents provided by The Agency for Financing Rural Investment, the article aims to examine how the public investments program was carried out under the measure 322 of the NRDP, to identify its strong and weak points and its impact on rural infrastructure.