ASPECTS OF REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS IN ROMANIA (PART I)

by Iordan, Mioara and Chilian, Mihaela Nona
Published in Romanian Journal of Economic Forecasting, 2004, volume 5 issue 4,
52-67

Abstract

Starting from the general definition of competitiveness adapted to the territorial development level, we propose the definition of the regional competitiveness as the capacity of a region, measured by comparing it with other regions, to form and ensure a social and economic environment able to support a higher productivity on the basis of an innovative utilization of the human, financial and material resources. We also rephrase the OECD definition by saying that it also includes the capacity of the regions to ensure to the factors of production a profit and a level of utilization relatively high, on a durable basis, within interregional competition, as also envisaged by the Lisbon criteria. From such a perspective, the current paper reveals aspects of the regional competitiveness in Romania as compared to the EU countries, and especially to the most recently integrated into the EU.

Keywords: competitiveness, regional development, regional comparisons, Lisbon criteria
JEL Classification: R10, R12