Decision No. 1.460 of 12 November 2008 approving National Strategy for Sustainable Development - Horizons 2013-2020-2030.

This National Strategy for Sustainable Development sets goals oriented towards the continuous improvement of living standards and relations in harmony with the natural environment. As a general guidance the document addresses the following strategic objectives in the short, medium and long term: Horizon 2013: to incorporate the principles and practices of sustainable development into all programs and policies of Romania as an EU member state. Horizon 2020: aims at reaching the current average level of EU countries on key indicators of sustainable development. Horizon 2030 significantly closes the gaps related to the average level in that year for the EU countries in terms of sustainable development indicators. Achieving these strategic objectives will ensure, medium and long term, high growth and, consequently, a significant reduction of social and economic disparities between Romania and other EU Member States (pags.1 and 2). Promoting equal opportunities in the labour market by facilitating women's access to traditionally male in leadership positions in politics, combating gender stereotypes, trafficking, domestic violence, sexual discrimination and harassment in the workplace, creating an inclusive labour market, providing special programmes for women including retraining for other occupations of persons employed in industries at risk of relocation (pag. 78).
The Strategy provides for fulfilling the obligations assumed by Romania as a member state of the European Union under the Sustainable Development Strategy renewed EU (2006). The text is divided into five parts: Part I: provides for the conceptual framework and defines the concepts they operate, describing the main points of the renewed sustainable development Strategy of the EU (2006), the current state of development of basic indicators of sustainable development and relevant measures. Part II: contains an assessment of the natural, human and social capital current situation of Romania. This is in line with the latest (May 2008) Joint Working Group for the Statistical Office of the EU (Eurostat), UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) performance for the sustainable development in the four forms of capital. Part III: presents a perspective establishing precise objectives for the three time frame horizons, following closely the logic of the key challenges and inter-sectoral themes, as formulated in the strategy for the EU Sustainable Development renewed. Part IV: analyses the problems which is facing Romania and sets specific targets to accelerate the shift to a sustainable development model, narrowing and closing the existing gaps in relation to the average performance of the other Member States of the European Union. Part V: contains concrete recommendations on the creation and modalities of the institutional framework designed to ensure implementation, monitoring and reporting on the results of the revised National Strategy for Sustainable Development. Horizon 2020 establishes National Objective: Strengthening structures in the agri-food and forestry, economic and social development of rural areas to further reduce disparities and achieve the current average performance of the EU countries. To this end will be drawn from the period preceding a new action programme for 2014-2020 focused on sustainable development, with specific targets for improving environmental conditions (measures to combat land degradation and protect areas at risk of flooding, maintaining plantations at a sufficiently and sustainably supporting disadvantaged areas, improve landscape quality), increase the competitiveness of certain sectors that impact on the environment improving the quality of life in rural areas (revenue growth from agriculture, forestry and fishery performance, expanding public services, diversification into non agricultural activities and entrepreneurship).
Besides the objectives derived from strategies, plans and programmes development, the strategy sets the main directions of action for the adoption and implementation of sustainable development principles in the immediate future, such as: rational correlation of development goals, including investment programs in cross-sectoral and regional potential and the sustainability of natural capital; accelerated modernization of education, training and public health, taking into account the unfavorable demographic trends and their impact on the labour market; use of the best available technologies, economically and ecological standards, for public investments at national, regional and local level and stimulate such decisions by private capital; entrenchment of eco-efficiency in all activities of production or services; ensuring food safety and security by exploiting the comparative advantages of Romania in the development of agricultural production, including organic; balancing the quantitative and qualitative growth of agricultural production to ensure food for humans and animals with the higher demand for bio-fuel production without compromising the need to maintain and improve soil fertility, biodiversity and environmental protection; the need to identify additional sources of funding in terms of sustainability, the development of projects and programs to scale, especially in infrastructure, energy, environmental protection, food safety, education, health and social services; protection and enhancement of cultural heritage and national natural; connection to European norms and standards on quality of life should be accompanied by revitalization, modernity, and ways of living traditional, especially in mountain areas and wetlands. The objectives set in the strategy, at national and regional level, aim to keep, consolidate, extend and adapt the structural configuration and functional capacity of natural capital as the foundation for maintaining and enhancing its ability to support against the pressure of social development, economic growth and the foreseeable impacts of climate change (pags. 1 and 2). 1.7. Global poverty and the challenges of sustainable development: the EU Member States are among the main supporters of the expansion of the principles and practices of sustainable development globally, reducing poverty and economic disparities and to promote responsible policies on conservation and rational use of natural resources of the planet.
It also underlines the importance of close collaboration with civil society, social partners, local communities and citizens to achieve sustainable development objectives. To this end, it identifies four key objectives: protecting the environment through measures improving the economic growth and minimizing the negative impact on the environment; social equity and cohesion, respecting fundamental rights, cultural diversity, equal opportunities and combating discrimination of any kind. To ensure the integration and correlation balanced components of economic, environmental and socio-cultural aspects of sustainable development, the EU sets the following guidelines: promotion and protection of fundamental human rights; solidarity within and between generations; open and democratic society; information and active involvement of citizens in decision-making; involvement of business and social partners; policy coherence and quality of governance at local, regional, national and global levels; integration of economic, social and environmental through impact assessments and stakeholder consultation; using modern knowledge for ensuring economic efficiency and investment; applying the precautionary principle where scientific uncertainty; application of the 'polluter pays' principle.
The Strategy anticipates the effects of climate change, to prepare solutions for adaptation in the long term, and the action plans of cross-sector contingency including alternative solutions for natural or anthropogenic crisis situations (pags. 1 and 2). Climate change, soil erosion and desertification, soil, water and air, reducing surface systems tropical forest and wetlands, the extinction or endangerment of a large number of species of plants and land animals or aquatic accelerated depletion of non-renewable resources have began to have a negative impact, measurable on socio-economic development and quality of life of people in vast areas of the planet.