Some aspects of regionalization and European integration in Bulgaria and Romania: a comparative study

The aim of the bilateral project “Regionalization and European integration in Bulgaria and Romania: a comparative study” of the Economic Research Institute, BAS (ERI BAS) and the Institute for National economy, RAS for the period 2013-2015 has dedicated to accomplish a comparative analysis of the implications of the European integration and enlargement for the development of regions in Bulgaria and Romania. Taking into consideration the specific features of the national economic policy of either of the two countries since 2007, the academic interest in the chosen topic is to be acknowledged as being fully justified by the fact that the EU integration has altered the political and economic opportunities of regional development of all the EU policies. The academic research on the experience of Romania and Bulgaria as new EU member states in the EU cohesion policy may present a valuable input to the debates on regional disparities, territorial cohesion, tools of regional and urban policy, multi-level governance, policy impacts and evaluation, territorial reforms and regionalization at the present stage of the European integration when new challenges as well as possibilities are emerging.