1st issue / July 2013 – The Annals of the University of Oradea. Economic Sciences, Tom XXII -2013
Title: SMART FABRICS: A CASE STUDY IN INDUSTRIAL REVIVAL
Author(s): Radan Ungureanu Adriana
Abstract: The movements on the world market suffered by the traditional textile industry bring us nowadays to reconsider the rebirth of the textile industry on new coordinates by the concentration of the latest technologies in order to satisfy the more and more demanding requests of the consumer. This paper tries to emphasize the idea that revitalization on a territory where there had been a strong development of a traditional textile industry in the past is possible now by configuring a new industry by means of some leader companies in their field of activity which create and develop new value sources with the advantages of the variant which integrates the latest interdisciplinary technologies, the so-called “key enabling technologies†(KETs), such as the microsystems, the smart materials, nano- and bio-technologies, and photonics. The KETs have a key role in creating the so-called industry of smart fabrics as it is shown in this summary case study for this very new born industry. All these technologies enable the appearance of some products fundamentally new of high interest, which furnish substantial economic advantages and involve industries with which they had no connection in the past. The main vectors in this effort of industrial transformation are the companies which are the best placed on the market of new industrial technologies generally called KETs, which combines the new ideas of economical organization through an intensive use of capital with the sustained effort of research-development, the usage of highly qualified labour force, and their geographical positioning at the points which best respond to their operational requirements. The competitive disadvantages of some countries with respect to the cheap labour force and the supply of raw materials essential for textile industry can be compensated by the re-orientation to the configuration of a new model of smart textiles and finally will contribute to re-launch the economic activity passing through recession, particularly in the areas more prepared from the point of view of high qualification and technical specialization.
Keywords: KET, smart textiles, reindustrialization, competitiveness
JEL Classification: L67, O33, M16
Pagination: 331 – 340
Title: OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN ROMANIA IN VIEW OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIETY
Author(s): Rusu-Zagar Gilda, Iorga Ionel, Rusu-Zagar Catalin, Anghel Sorin Ovidiu
Abstract: Health and safety at work has become one of the most substantial and important sectors in the EU social policy over the last years.In Romania, the implementation of health and safety management systems is performed by: a systematic approach to problems, training and awareness, effective and efficient tools for managing a company’s specific issues as well as involvement at all its organizational levels.The article deals with the implementation of the management systems for health and safety at work, which complements the enterprises’ existing organizational system and promotes enforcement of the legislation regarding health and safety at work.Creating a healthier and safer working environment is a goal that exceeds the resources and expertise of a single institution or a single country.
Keywords: management, security, health, work, best practices, prevention, awareness
JEL Classification:
Pagination: 341 – 346
Title: WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION – REFORM IT OR CHANGE IT?
Author(s): Sterian Maria Gabriela
Abstract: The failure of Doha Round is a serious step backward for the WTO and the multilateral trading system. Some analysts already discussed in their research about the round as being already closed and they propose the developing of a new program within the organization. WTO still remains a very important institution due to its proven role in encouraging states not to take protectionist measures during the recent economic crisis, but the global trade governance reform must reflect all the changes and realities. The transition is being made toward a more regionalized and preferential global trade and the emergence of strong developing countries shape the whole multilateral trade negotiations. The important growth rates in emerging countries are translated also in strong demand for representation in global trade governance. Objectives: This paper aims to underline the role of multilateralism as form of international cooperation, the link with global economic governance and what concerns academic community in terms of having a reform of it. Prior Work: It has been tried to emphasizing the concepts already developed by known researchers in the field. Approach: The approach is a more theoretic one done in a comparative manner with emphasis on results and future research. The critical method approach is done with qualitative results. Results: The key results are related to pros and cons of reforming the World Trade Organization, as well as presenting the criticisms and proposals for having a second World Trade Organization. Implications: The implications are varied in terms of studying the concepts and addresses researchers in the field, but also lecturers and students. Value: The main added value is the compared approach of the traditional WTO as it derived from General Agreement on Tariff and Trade and the proposal for a new one and its formal relationship with the global economic governance.
Keywords: international trade, reform, legitimacy, Doha Round
JEL Classification: F02, F13, F55, O19
Pagination: 347 – 356
Title: A CROSS-COUNTRY ANALYSIS OF THE BANKS’ FINANCIAL SOUNDNESS: THE CASE OF THE CEE-3 COUNTRIES
Author(s): Sargu Alina Camelia, Roman Angela
Abstract: The European integration process has a direct impact on all the components of the macroeconomic environment. The existence of a well functioning and sound banking sector becomes of great importance for the integration process as the European Union economy is financed especially through this channel. The banking sectors of the new EU member countries have undergone through tremendous changes in the last decade, both from an ownership and also from a business strategy point of view, these changes having a direct impact on their financial soundness. Thus, the aim of our research is to empirically examine the financial soundness of the banks operating in Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Romania, three EU members countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE-3). In order to achieve this we have employed a combine quantitative analysis based on the CAMELS framework (namely Capital Adequacy, Asset quality, Management soundness, Earnings, Liquidity, Sensitivity to market risk) and the Z-score, thus being able to underline simultaneously the financial soundness and the possibility of default for the banks from our sample. The analysed period is 2004-2011 providing us with an evaluation of the impact that the EU ascension and also the global financial crisis had on the financial soundness of the analysed banks. Our sample is composed from 40 commercial banks that operate in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Romania, that overall own over 75% of the total banking assets, making this study one of the most comprehensive undertaken to this date. The data that we have employed in our research is obtained from the Bureau Van Dijk Bankscope database and the annual financial statements of the banks from our sample. The paper through its original dual approach contributes to the academic debate by providing not only insight into the financial soundness of the banks operating in the CEE-3 countries but also underling their financial strength through the usage of the Z-score. Thus, the topic of the paper is focused on a subject of great importance for the European integration process.
Keywords: integration, financial soundness, CAMELS framework, Z score
JEL Classification: G01; G21; O52
Pagination: 357 – 367
Title: ANALYSIS OF LABOUR MARKET IN ROMANIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
Author(s): Tanase Diana, Frant Florin, Manciu Venera, Tanase Adrian
Abstract: The paper aims at analysing the labour market, one of the most complex forms of market in economy. The present work forwards a comparative survey regarding the labour market in Romania and in the other European Union member states. The paper starts by highlighting general aspects related to labour market and continues by the presentation of the European Union countries’ ranking according to the labour market efficiency, top elaborated on the basis of the World Economic Forum data. Furthermore, the paper analyses labour productiveness, employment rate and unemployment rate both in Romania and in the other countries of the European Union. In the end the authors forward conclusions regarding the possibilities of increasing competitiveness on Romania’s labour market.
Keywords: labour market, labour force, productiveness
JEL Classification: J01, J21, J24
Pagination: 368 – 376
Title: SOME CRITICAL ASPECTS CONCERNING THE INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF EUROPEAN UNION
Author(s): Timofte Claudia Simona, Timofte Adrian Ioan
Abstract: In this paper we want to clarify and understand the decisional process in European which is related to the determination of the identity of the Union, answering to several questions concerning the implementation of the European Union into an organization, the different relations with other organizations and with the international law. In the family of the international organizations, the European Union has its own place because it realizes an economic integration project and a political one, a supranational but refusing the traditional categories of constitution and the international law. Qualifying as an international organization sui generis, EU developed a new legal order, deciding to create a supranational organization, formed by Member States and their citizens. The integration process is a permanent challenge opened to a new and developing process for solving all the internal and external problems of the EU. The States have an international “sensitivity” when the application of EU rules exceeds their obligations laid down in the Treaties to third countries and international organizations to which they have not exempted obligations. It was argued that the concept of “demos” or acting people is intrinsically linked to that of the nation-State. The issue of democratic deficit of the European Union is bound to four basic problems: the construction as a whole and therefore of the institutional system, under the principle of conferral, the Union shall act only within the limits that Member States have been conferred in the Treaties to attain the objectives that they set, The Treaty of Lisbon reinforces the legitimacy of the operation of the Union based on free and democratic will expressed by Member States. European construction is achieved through a democratic transfer of competences of the democratic States to a Commission subject to a weak democratic control, while the European Central Bank preserves absolute dominion over its monetary policy outside democratic control.The democratic deficit of the European Union must be judged in the light of the democratic ideal, which led to an ideal-type of political regime, being found itself in constant restructuring, with respect to the evolution of socio-political realities.
Keywords: decisional process, institutional, European Union, European External Action Service
JEL Classification: K3 K33
Pagination: 377 – 384
Title: L’INTERCOMPREHENSION DANS LE CONTEXTE ENDOLINGUE
Author(s): Constantin Felicia, Bogdan Rodica
Abstract: Porquier (1984) defines the exolingual communication as the communication between individuals who do not share a common language, in opposition to endolingual communication, which is the communication between individuals sharing the same native language. Calling in this opposition, our paper brings forward the problem of intercomprehension and incomprehension in the endolingual space. Intercomprehension is nowadays almost exclusively associated to plurilinguism and a series of curricula of foreign language simultaneous learning. It is considered that the exolingual situation is by excellence a state of communicational risk and its management is more difficult, for it does not guarantee the success in communication. Polarizing the research in this direction unfortunately casts a shadow on the opportunity of debates on intercomprehension in one’s native tongue. And this is due, as Tyvaert (2008) showed, to the fact that “we should avoid pretending from linguistic intercomprehension what cannot be accomplished by intralinguistic intercomprehension”. It is naturally acceptable that the lack of intercomprehension leads to incomprehension, therefore to the misinterpretation or annulment of communication between people speaking the same language. In the context of linguistic training of future economists, we consider that the lack of intercomprehension in one’s native tongue often originates in the deficiencies of speciality knowledge. Therefore, we can state that an economist who does not understand an economic message in his native tongue cannot generate “endolingual intercomprehension”. According to a recent study on a representative sample of students from the Faculty of Economic Sciences of Oradea, we have tried to prove the above hypothesis and to render the students sensitive regarding the study of foreign languages. The results entitle us to consider that the lack of intralingustic intercomprehension (due to deficiencies in the speciality field) leads to incomprehension, diminishes the person’s willingness to start a plurilingual communication, thus compromising the chance of an interlinguistic intercomprehension, so necessary to the contemporary geostrategic space.
Keywords: intercomprehension, endolingual communication, economic, foreign language
JEL Classification: Y8
Pagination: 387 – 395
Title: RECEPTION OF SPOKEN ENGLISH. MISHEARINGS IN THE LANGUAGE OF BUSINESS AND LAW
Author(s): HOREA Ioana-Claudia
Abstract: Spoken English may sometimes cause us to face a peculiar problem in respect of the reception and the decoding of auditive signals, which might lead to mishearings. Risen from erroneous perception, from a lack in understanding the communication and an involuntary mental replacement of a certain element or structure by a more familiar one, these mistakes are most frequently encountered in the case of listening to songs, where the melodic line can facilitate the development of confusion by its somewhat altered intonation, which produces the so called mondegreens. Still, instances can be met in all domains of verbal communication, as proven in several examples noticed during classes of English as a foreign language (EFL) taught to non-philological subjects. Production and perceptions of language depend on a series of elements that influence the encoding and the decoding of the message. These filters belong to both psychological and semantic categories which can either interfere with the accuracy of emission and reception. Poor understanding of a notion or concept combined with a more familiar relation with a similarly sounding one will result in unconsciously picking the structure which is better known. This means ‘hearing’ something else than it had been said, something closer to the receiver’s preoccupations and baggage of knowledge than the original structure or word. Some mishearings become particularly relevant as they concern teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Such are those encountered during classes of Business English or in English for Law. Though not very likely to occur too often, given an intuitively felt inaccuracy – as the terms are known by the users to need to be more specialised -, such examples are still not ignorable. Thus, we consider they deserve a higher degree of attention, as they might become quite relevant in the global context of an increasing work force migration and a spread of multinational companies.
Keywords: verbal communication, mondegreens, teaching EFL, mishearings in ESP classes
JEL Classification: Y80; Z00; K00
Pagination: 396 – 402
Title: ECONOMY, ECONOMICS, ECONOMIC, ECONOMICAL
Author(s): Sim Monica Ariana, Pop Anamaria Mirabela
Abstract: To speak and understand a language means – among many other things – knowing the words of that language. The average speaker knows, hears, understands and uses thousands of words daily. But does he use them appropriately? That is why this paper is about words and meanings. More specifically, it deals with the internal structure of complex words, i.e. derivatives. The purpose of the paper is to enable students and potentially other individuals dealing with English language on business basis to engage in their own analyses of some aspects of the language, namely the family tree of the word economy. After having read the paper, the reader should be familiar with the necessary knowledge regarding differences between meanings, misuse and actual sense of words deriving from economy, be able to systematically analyze data and relate his own findings on theoretical language problems. English is used by hundreds of millions speakers and still there is always need for improving our knowledge continuously. Knowing and speaking approximate English may not be enough at an advanced level as in the case of students who prepare themselves for careers that involve proficient communication in a foreign language on specific business issues. This is where the idea of such a paper appeared: students of the Faculty of Economic Sciences talk about economy and all the other terms deriving from it, with approximate knowledge of their meaning, without even being aware that some ‘minor’ suffixes like –ic, -ical, -ics etc. really matter and do make a difference. Consequently, we started our teaching of Business English lecture in September 2012 with a working sheet based on the terms economic/ economical/ economics/ economy to assess students’ awareness of these terms. The result was not a surprise as more than 90% misused economical instead of economic. That seemed a perfect introduction for students in economics. From that moment on, the building of their specific vocabulary could start.
Keywords: economy, economics, economic, economical, -ic/-ical adjectives
JEL Classification: Y90
Pagination: 403 – 412
Title: L’ÉTUDE DES LANGUES MODERNES ET LA RESPONSABILITÉ POUR LA MIGRATION QUALIFIÉE
Author(s): Stanciu Daniela, Stefan Liana
Abstract: Abstract: Among the “vicious” or “secondary” personal mobility effects, the brain drain has become the most disturbing trend for the least developed countries barely out of communism. Its consequences on social and economic development have not yet been measured.
We suggest a reflection on solutions (only few at present) that our university finds in order to adapt to the international transfer of human capital. Starting from the responses to questions about the aspirations and migration projects of students from the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, aspiring entrepreneurs, we have been able to observe a radical change in attitude towards the historical migration.
Although the migration phenomenon is considered as being natural in any tumultuous period of history, the current migration differs from the twentieth century one, because it is caused by the growing rate of unemployment and the inability of the people to create new jobs.
Young people are sort of exiled because some do not want to leave the country as their precedecessors from the communist regime, but they are pragmatic and want higher salaries. In the case in which they leave the country, they do it having in mind the thought of returning at the moment they find an opportunity in Romania.
The Romanian educational system displeases the young by its nature, too theoretical and less practical, by the scarcity of offers of internships in companies. The paradox is that few of the students go study for bachelor and master degrees abroad, although they acknowledge the superiority of the Western education system. The survey shows that while studying abroad, the majority of students get a job, also because the scholarship does not cover their living expenses.
Students go abroad for a high quality of life, professional opportunities and for recognition of the individual value. They are attracted by lower corruption, possibilities of professional development and appreciation of their work by the employer.
Those of them who decide to come back are justified by numerous opportunities to launch a new business, opportunity to exploit its expertise in order to change the Romanian society. Emotional connection with friends and family and not least patriotism are mentioned by almost all respondents, which is a surprise to a generation considered to be cosmopolitan.
Knowledge of foreign languages and intercultural accommodation with the Western civilization through university studies, smooth the progress of migration, but they are not its cause.
Keywords: globalisation, migration qualifiée, fuite des cerveaux, rapatriement
JEL Classification: F22
Pagination: 413 – 424
Title: DYNAMICS OF CHANGES IN ROMANIA KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
Author(s): Burja Camelia
Abstract: Abstract: By joining the European Union, the new member states have benefited from more opportunities for interaction and knowledge transfer, which boosted the transition to the knowledge economy. This paper deals with three areas that are the drivers of KE, education, research-development-innovation and information for a selection of European countries, which are the new EU member states (NMS). It focuses on identifying the current state of growth performance in Romanian economy in relation to some of the relevant KE indicators, the main tendencies manifested in the last years and their contribution to the KE development within the EU’s developing countries group. The findings of the research reveal that the Romanian economy performance in KE terms has registered a positive dynamism, but this country is not on the efficiency frontier yet, being closer rather to the middle level of development from the new EU member states.
Keywords: Data envelopment Analysis, Knowledge economy, Economic growth Economic performance
JEL Classification: I25; O11
Pagination: 425 – 434
Title: EXTERNAL FACTORS FOR THE MONETARY POLICY TRANSMISSION MECHANISM
Author(s): Dan Horatiu
Abstract: This paper reviews and analyzes the effects that external (or exogenous) factors, defined as economic factors that cannot be controlled or influenced by the central bank, have on monetary policy and the monetary policy transmission mechanism. Adopting a theoretical research position, we aim at identifying the main external factors to monetary policy and discuss the ways in which these factors alter the economic environment and implicitly the monetary policy transmission mechanism. This is done by changing the way in which monetary transmission channels work and deliver monetary policy decisions throughout the economy, with the final goal of producing central bank desired outcomes with regard to economic variables like inflation, employment, or the production level. We will begin this article with a brief introduction on the topic of monetary policy, the monetary policy transmission mechanism and the potential external factors that may influence the monetary policy and the functioning of its transmission mechanism. The main external factors are identified as linked to fiscal policy, commodity prices, financial market volatility or other globalization related processes. After this introduction, we will proceed with the analysis of the nature and influences of each of the above mentioned external factors on monetary policy and its transmission, indentifying the potential ways in which they can change the structure and internal processes of the transmission channels. As we will see in the study and highlight in our conclusion, the external factors cause decisive changes in the way monetary policy is transmitted, and thus will strongly influence the decisions that central banks take in order to alter key economic variables. The profound understanding of how these non-central bank controlled factors influence the monetary policy transmission mechanism is a key requirement for central banks, as only by being able to predict, recognize and evaluate the effects of current or future external factors can they succeed in reaching their monetary policy objectives.
Keywords: external factors, monetary transmission
JEL Classification: E52; E59
Pagination: 435 – 444
Title: THE ASSET PRICE CHANNEL AND ITS ROLE IN MONETARY POLICY TRANSMISSION
Author(s): Dan Horatiu
Abstract: his paper addresses the subject of the monetary policy transmission mechanism by focusing on the asset price channel, which is the monetary transmission channel responsible for the propagation of the effects induced by the monetary policy decisions made by the central bank that affect the price of assets. We will analyze the asset price channel by taking a close look at its structure, internal processes and the way it delivers monetary policy throughout the economy, ultimately influencing key variables such as the unemployment rate and the levels of consumption and production. After an introduction dealing with the entire monetary transmission mechanism, its role and purposes, we will focus on the particularities of the asset price channel and the two main ways in which it delivers monetary policy decision effects: through changes in Tobin’s q value, which is the ratio between the market value of a given company and its replacement cost of capital, and through the effect of wealth, both of financial and housing nature, on consumption. In our study, we will consider theoretical aspects and observations, but also empirical evidence that highlights that the exact way in which the asset price channel functions may differ from one economy to another due to differences in the structures of the respective economies and differences in psychology and cultural values of consumers. The deep understanding of the asset price transmission channel is very important for any central bank, as this is the channel that governs key aspects of monetary policy transmission linked to the market value of assets and individual wealth. These values have, as we will see in more detail throughout the paper, an important impact on both consumption and investment, two economic actions that can help the economy, but can also prove to be a crucial element in starting and perpetuating an economic crisis.
Keywords: monetary transmission; asset price channel.
JEL Classification: E52; E59
Pagination: 445 – 454
Title: THE PRACTEAM MODEL REGARDING SCHOOL TO ACTIVE LIFE TRANSITION. STUDENTS’ EXPECTANCIES
Author(s): Dodescu Anca Otilia, Hatos Roxana Elisabeta, Borza Adriana Florina, Saveanu Tomina Gabriela
Abstract: The project “Practical training of economist’s students. Inter-regional partnership in the labor market between universities and the business environment” focuses on student’s transition from school to labor market. Concretely, it tries to highlight the general role of practical training – specifically the field related practical training set as a mandatory discipline in the curriculum, by identifying possibilities of interventions from supervisors. Starting with literature review regarding determinants of school to active life transition, the present contribution discusses the outline of the practical training set as a mandatory discipline in the curriculum. Within PRACTeam project the practical training itself is accompanied with a series of supplementary services (aptitude testing, counseling, career guidance, mentoring by a trained tutor, granting financial aid, awarding excellence over contests and internships). It represents an active partnership on the labor market meant to address directly students’ expectations regarding practical training, work, and entrepreneurship. At least two main benefits may be derived from the training and tutoring. First, as a dual type model of transition from school to active life, allowing students to become insiders in the labor market. Secondly, changes in supervisor’ patterns of interactions and behavior/attitudes toward work and employees may also occur, which in turn may improve the work. A pretest-posttest non-experimental design was applied for the PRACTeam evaluation. Using administered questionnaires and focus group method to students before and after they completed their practical stages we examined their attitudes and behavior towards elements of the dual model of transition. The paper concludes that a dual type model of transition from school to active life – that implies the education and practice occur simultaneously, successfully meets students’ expectancies and may be functional for improving permeability between professional and academic knowledge.
Keywords: transition from school to active life, youth insertion on labor market, practical training, PRACTeam model, youth unemployment, youth self-emloyment, youth entrepreneurship
JEL Classification: J01, J08, J18, J21, J44, J64
Pagination: 455 – 464
Title: SPECIFIC APPROACHES OF PRODUCTIVITY IN SERVICES. VALUES OF SEVERAL COMPARATIVE INDICATORS
Author(s): Jivan Alexandru, Toth Maria
Abstract: The paper proposes a synthesis of several specific approaches of productivity in services, in order to provide a better argued theoretical basis for a realistic assessment of the values of several comparative indicators. From a conceptual point of view, the paper will take as a base some definitions of productivity as a quantitative and industrial indicator, revealing certain aspects that need a widening of the area of approach, in the purpose of being suitable for immaterial activities. Based on the brief analysis of productivity, performance and servicity indicators, the research establishes correlations between them in the immaterial field. Elder and, as well, most recent analyses found in the field literature are used, from most rigorous sources, and they are supplemented with own approaches; such approaches ore pointing out several most specific features that are specially set for services and intellect-intensive activities. Technical and financial aspects of common productivity are taken into account, as well as performance in realising various goals, non-economic here included, and the service components, in a complex approach. The presentation focus on nuance features in the quoted references, in the purpose of a fine defining of the indictors and approaches. Specific particularization is achieved based on the literature. Methodologically, the paper is approaching in an unorthodox manner, the plus of value issued from the human activity, i.e. being in a view coming from a fine analysis of the service performed by any economic activity, in a market system. The conceptual importance of these comparative indicators is concisely highlighted, and it consists mainly in the opening that can become a useful ground for practical applicative analyses, which actually are proposed in the future developments of the topic. The research results reveal the relationship between these comparative indicators as well as some conceptual differences between them. Their application can be made for material and immaterial economic activities, at different levels of economic entities concerned.
Keywords: productivity, performance, services
JEL Classification: A13; D24
Pagination: 465 – 471
Title: EVOLUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TAX REVENUES IN POST-COMMUNIST EUROPEAN MEMBER COUNTRIES
Author(s): Mascu Simona
Abstract: Human activities can have harmful effects on the environment, which may affect the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, policymakers must decide which economic instruments should implement in order to achieve the sustainable development objectives.
In Europe, effective action demands the collaboration of all economic agents on all member states to bring environmental taxation in line with the EU’s climate change targets: reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% in 2020 compared to 1990, raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%, and 20% improvement in the EU’s energy efficiency.
After two decades of post-revolution economic problems and living-standards, some countries from Central and Eastern Europe took the first steps in designing extensive environmental fiscal reforms. The reform implemented in more advanced post-communist countries spread pretty quickly to upper-middle-income and middle-income countries.
Through this articleI intended to present an in-depth analysis of energy taxation and an assessment of trends and status of the environmental tax revenues as a share of GDP levied by post-communist E.U. member countries: Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia by processing the information provided by Eurostat database.
Each information is updated and accurate as possible, although that the use of economic instruments for environmental policy is rapidly changing.
This article, which is only a work in progress, will conduct further research on a wide range of environmental tax issues. Potential projects will be submitted in publications, article, and conferences. They will include:
 main drivers for the evolution of environmental tax revenue such as: final
energy consumption, energy efficiency policies, renewable energy, Europe
Brent Oil Spot price;
 the situation of excise duties applied to the most important sources of
energy in relation to the minimum energy tax provided by EU legislation in
CEEC-10;
 assessments of the extent to which governments from EU-27 and CEEC-
10 are using environmental taxes; and
 entropic degradation – a consequences of economic growth.
Keywords: environmental tax policy, environmental fiscal policy, environmental tax revenues; new E.U. member countries.
JEL Classification: H23; Q50; O57
Pagination: 472 – 480
Title: RESTRICTION OF CREDIT AFTER THE CRISIS OR A DIFFERENT ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES? THE ITALIAN CASE
Author(s): Mattoscio Nicola, Colantonio Emiliano, Odoardi Iacopo, Perrucci Antonella
Abstract: The granting of credit, whose excessive diffusion was one of the causes of the economic and financial crisis of 2007, has suffered profound changes during the following period of economic recession. The granting of credit to households and businesses has been strongly influenced by the effects of the economic downturn, the banks’ choices and the intervention of the supervisory authorities. The credit, however, is also an instrument of monetary policy through which governments and central banks try to stimulate the economic growth. There are, nevertheless, several and complex limitations to the actions of banks and other financial intermediaries, information asymmetries and structural limits of the credit market. Should also be considered that in many Countries the economic recession had a strong influence on the choices and opportunities for all economic agents, making it difficult to lay the foundations for economic recovery. In the previous years, the lowering of standards of borrowers and the presence of low interest rates, setting the conditions for the so-called housing bubble. The subsequent reactions, the general worsening of the economy, the lack of funding and liquidity, in addition to the strict rules imposed by the supervisory authorities, have led banks to tighten securely controls on the characteristics of borrowers, being also obliged to put more attention on the composition of the balance sheet. Under these conditions, have risen subjects that do not meet the requirements to receive funding, and at the same time increased the difficulty to repay loans and interest. In this paper a multidimensional scaling analysis is used to observe the situation of credit in the Italian regions before and after the outbreak of the crisis, considering the average values for nine variables and for two different period, before and after 2007. Searching for dissimilarity between areas of the Country, is highlighted a clear separation before the crisis and remained essentially unchanged between northern and southern regions. Furthermore the analysis of time series showed that the granting of credit has declined slightly, but above all has changed destination, from productive purposes and investments, to support consumption.
Keywords: Credit, Monetary policy, Multidimensional scaling
JEL Classification: E51, E52, E58
Pagination: 481 – 490
Title: THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON PUBLIC SERVICES OF SOCIAL VALUE IN ROMANIA
Author(s): Milin Anda Ioana, Ciolac Ramona Mariana, Fruja Ioan, Radac Bianca Alina
Abstract: Public services market is closely linked to the involvement of the state in economic and social life. The extent and modalities of involvement varies from one country to another, from one period to another are influenced by many specific factors concrete. With the involvement of the state in economic and social life goals should be considered or – declared or not – -especially those interventions effects on the community and individuals. The paper starts from the idea that public service education, the health care and social services ensures the physical and intellectual integrity of the individual, regardless of his income level. In democratic societies are more and more talking about education as the means of personal development, a service available to all, regardless of social class, religion, gender, and access to health care is considered a basic right of the individual. Medical services should be seen as a means by which many social objectives can be achieved in the long term (equal opportunities, financial security during illness) not as simple care of the sick. The paper includes analysis related to: the structure of social protection in our country, the scope of these services, the relationship between social protection and poverty, the way and the degree to which social protection deepens or contribute to poverty reduction. The economic crisis triggered in Europe in 2008that also affects Romania, negatively influenced the evolution of social funds in key areas of public interest, education, health and social care. This results from: decreasing share of social spending in the state budget, decreasing share of these expenses in the total family budget due to lower purchasing power and thus the obligation of individual to reduce or waive some costs of this kind, central and local government bodies inability to meet certain service requirements such at the level of the population and especially low-income population groups. Located in the crisis situation the state must seek solutions to keep social services at an appropriate level because the quantity and quality of these services have an impact upon quality of life and standard of living of many individuals. The results of the analysis indicates us a reduced benefit for this type of service, in our country, with negative effects over the entire society. The conclusions aim to support the fact that social policy from our country is insufficient in relation to the real needs of the population, being strongly influenced by domestic economic situation and the size of the global economic crisis.
Keywords: public administration, economic policy, market distortion, social protection
JEL Classification: H50
Pagination: 491 – 498
Title: APPROACH OF RDI SYSTEM IN EUROPEAN UNION IN THE LAST DECADE
Author(s): Nicolov Mirela
Abstract: Present paper present an approach of the Research-Development and Innovation System (RDI) in Europe during the last decade. After a short introduction is presented the European Union formation. Research, development and innovation (RDI) has been studied and analyzed since 2001 by the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS). Will be presented in the present paper a summary of all the materials from EIS 2001 till IUS 2011. Study concerning RDI system in Europe was done from innobarometers from 2001 till 2010. EIS2007 presents for the first time the European innovation leaders. EIS presents innovative performance of Member States based on annual statistical data collected from national statistical sources of each member country of the European Union through the Community Innovation Survey by using Document Analysis on Innovation Community. Were taken into account, after this short presentation, the relevant composite indicators for European Union for the last decade to analyze the Research-Development and Innovation System in Europe. IUS2011 distinguish between three main types of innovation indicators. The main input factors in the analysis of external innovation performance of firms covers 3 dimensions of innovation. These indicators, based on the IUS2011contain as follows: Human Resources with the evolution of new doctorate graduates, population completed tertiary education, youth with upper secondary level education, Research Systems , Finance and Support. All of these indicators belongs to the category of Enablers. Another indicators studied in the present paper are Firm activities, Linkages & entrepreneurship Intellectual Assets.From the category of Outputs there are Innovators and Economic effects. The composite indicators for EU Research Development and Innovation System were study for the period 2006-2011. Samples data were took from Pro Inno Europe database for simulations in August 2012.
The present study is part of Doctoral Grant “Implications for innovation, research and development role in the development of Romania’s economic competitiveness”, for the period 2010-2015 having Director: Prof. Dr. Alina Bădulescu in Oradea University, Faculty of Economic Sciences.
Keywords: Economic Development, Institutions and Growth, Europe, Institutional, Research Development and Innovation System
JEL Classification: B25, O43, O52
Pagination: 499 – 508
Title: THE MAIN DEFICIENCIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECTORAL OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
Author(s): Pautu Sorina, Dogaru Madalin
Abstract: The absorption of EU funds for Romania is a necessity in the nowadays context. The slow pace of absorption of these structural funds earmarked for Romania as EU member state is a deficiency with negative effects on the economic and social development of our country. Their low absorption shows deficiencies in their coordination and implementation at central level and also at the level of beneficiaries. Their coordinative authorities, in particular the Managing Authority of Structural Instruments, together with its subordinated institutions presents deficiencies in their coordination and implementation as having negative effects on their absorption. The main weaknesses identified on national level mainly consist in the lack of specialized personnel, in excessive bureaucracy and a mismatch of national legislation with the European one. The lack of transparency and change is specific to these structural funds, representing deficiencies that lead to beneficiaries’ discouragement to implement projects financed from structural funds. In the Sectoral Operational Programme, the Human Resources Development Program is a leader in the rate of absorption but it also has the largest number of problems and deficiencies in implementation. Due to the deficiencies identified by the auditing European Commission of the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development, payments were suspended for a period of four months. Following this situation, it was necessary to implement the necessary corrective measures at the level of POSDRU, leading to its release. Taking action and removing the deficiencies at the POSDRU level, and also at the level of other operational programs, it is a necessity and a priority to increase the absorption of these funds. The main measures that need to be taken mainly consist of training the personnel involved in the management of these funds, reimbursements release funds to the final beneficiaries, creating a more transparent system of evaluation of proposals and a better correlation of national legislation with the European one. The challenge is to implement measures identified and increase the absorption of structural funds until the end of their deployment.
Keywords: absorption of structural and cohesion funds, deficiencies in the implementation of structural and cohesion funds, measures to improve the management of structural instruments.
JEL Classification: R11, R58
Pagination: 509 – 515
Title: VIEWS OF ROMANIAN ECONOMISTS ON THE CYCLICAL FLUCTUATIONS IN ECONOMY
Author(s): Pitorac Ruxandra
Abstract: As part of a larger work, the objective of this article is to identify the Romanian economists concerned with the study of economic crisis and cyclical fluctuations and to critically and theoretically review the Romanian literature on this subject. The research is a qualitative one and it is based upon the studying of the specialized intern literature, the tools for this research were analysis and synthesis. The study of the Romanian economic thought, concerned with explaining the causes of cyclical fluctuations, has a special importance in understanding the economic system, in general, and in taking the right measures in mitigating the fluctuations and in economic recovery after a crisis period, in particular. The starting point of the theories regarding the cyclical fluctuations in Romania is 1929, when the economic crisis broke out, with serious effects on the development of Romania. An extensive literature has been written on the economic crisis of 1929-1933, in which Romanian economists exposed their views on the causes that generated it and the solutions to get out of that state. The same thing happened during the crisis in 2008-2010. When its effects were felt in Romania, the national economists tried to explain the causes of economic crisis, as well as finding ways of recovery for the Romanian economy. The research reveals the fact that all the analyzed theories, regardless of the historical period, considered the causes of cyclical fluctuation, in general, and the causes of economic crises, in particular, as being endogenous. (technical progress, investment, consumption, production variation, overcapitalization) The presentation of the economists who were concerned by this research is not exhaustive but selective and the most representative were elected to the matter under discussion, based upon the impact of their research on the economic fluctuation theories. It is necessary to take into account the nature of the economic and social era of the historical period in which they were made, and the historical moment not only puts its mark on the theoretical generalizations but also determines their limits.
Keywords: cyclical fluctuations, economic theories, crisis, Romanian economists
JEL Classification: E32
Pagination: 516 – 522
