About Alba Iulia 2006

Theme

For the middle of the Twentieth century, in the European Community, the regional policy has become an organic component of the socio-economic policy. For the seventies, it has developed into new strategic notions [Vincze, M., (2000), Dezvoltare regionala si rurala. Idei si practici, ( Regional and Rural Development . Ideas and Practices) Cluj-Napoca, Presa Universitara Clujeana].

Regionalism has become a crucial stimulating reality for the economical and political developement of the European Union. Thus, article 130 of Maastricht treaty of 1992 presented the goals and main means of the regional policy:

• Reduction of the differences between the regions and reduction of the inequality of the chances, due to the development lateness.
• Creation of structural instruments and creation of national and local economical policies setting in synergy, so as to decrease the most striking regional differences.
• Coordination of the Community financial resources to get an efficient regional policy.

[Vincze, M., (2000), Dezvoltare regionala si rurala. Idei si practici, ( Regioal and Rural development. Ideas and Practices ) Cluj-Napoca, Presa Universitara Clujeana].

The European regions are varied as far as their origin, size and organization means are concerned. Nevertheless, independently of the size and organization means, the regional development at the regional and European levels (inter regional and trans regional) has become a daily reality, in tightened connection with the sustainabledevelopment.

The first accepted definition of the sustainable development appeared in the report of Norwegian Gro Harlem Brundtland. In 1987, the latter and the members of her Commission suggested that the world people had to ”satisfy their current needs without compromising the possibility of the future generations to satisfy their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). At this moment, this report was very complete and recorded that the environment degradation and neglect would lead to a deep injustice between the generations and to an unquestionable collapse of the ecosystem. Naturally, as durability is a very slipping concept, it can mean :

• Maintaining a well being state between generations.
• Ensuring the continuity of the Human kind to ad infinitum.
• Maintaining the productivity of the economical systems.
• Maintaining bio-diversity and a combination of these (and other) aspects.

[G. Lawrence, Promovarea dezvoltarii durabile: problematica guvernarii, (Promotion du development durable: la problematique de la gouvernance), en Mihai Pascaru, Catalyse, Cluj-Napoca, Editions Argonaut 2005].

If we often keep in mind the ecological definition of sustainable development, as quoted previously, the Brundtland Report [1987] clarifies that two concepts are inherent to this notion. The concept of "needs", and more particularly essential needs of the most deprived, to whom it is advisable to grant the largest priority, and the idea of the limitations which the state of our techniques and of our social organization imposes on the capacity of the environment to answer the current needs and to come.

Since the European Council of GÖTEBORG in June 2001, the sustainable development approach has been recognized as one of the main priorities of the European Union for the years to come. Now, it constitutes the basic framework from which the principles of good governance are defined. The community policies have to conform to them by respecting:

• The participation of the citizens.
• The global approach of territories and communities, characterized by an adequate balance between the economical, social, environmental and cultural dimensions.
• The partnership of the territorial actors.

As far as we are concerned, the basic question is the following : Are regions the most appropriate form of territorial delimitation for the sustainable development, whatever the adopted definition of this concept is ?

In Rumania, there are frequent discussions about the kinds of regions (historical regions and regions of development) and about the question of the territorial identity. Belonging to a common space justifies economical, political and social actions of the actors of this space [Cardy, H. (1997), Construire l’identité régionale, Montréal, L’Edition Harmattan].

The fondamental question we have to answer is “On what kind of identity, the territorial delimitation will be based –on a identity that is fixed in the past or on a identity that creates a link between the present and the future?”

Thus, as Michel Bassard said, at our time, identity can not be based only on the roots and traditions worsip. Indeed, this trend nourishes the germs of asphyxiation. As a consequence, Bassard indicates that identity is reasonable only if it is also a bridge between present and future [Bassard, M., ed. (1991), Identité et développement régional, Berne-Francfort-s.Main, New York, Paris, P. Lang Edition].

In this context, the basic question can be the following: “Is the territory sustainable development stimulated by all regional identity construction, whatever its form is?”

In the field of the regional development theory, many conceptual problems appear at every step. We often speak of marco-regions, regions, micro-regions and zones. Each of these limits corresponds to regional territorial delimitations. It implies particular methods and territorial diagnosis and development sustainable government instruments.

Here, the basic question is the following : “Can we construct and use methods (with the appropriate instruments) so as to ensure a proper diagnosis and an efficient government, independently of the kind of territorial delimitation?”

Starting from the reflexions carried out above, at least three themes can be adopted in an international conference welcomed by a city such as Alba Iulia:

• Theme 1: Is the region the most appropriate space to think the sustainable development?
• Theme 2: In the framework of regional identity construction, what are the problems, the experiments and the good practices?
• Theme 3: Which methods and instruments must be used to implement the territory sustainable development?