In the 2007-2013 European Union programming period, Romania benefi tted from assistance provided through the Human Resources Development Operational Programme, fi nanced by the European Social Fund, to promote social inclusion. Women are, in many instances, a vulnerable group that needs support from various sources for greater integration in the labour market. This integration resides in encouraging entrepreneurship. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how support is anticipated by women planning to start a business and assessed by those who already have experience in entrepreneurship. To achieve the research objectives, a study was conducted on a sample of 774 women in three NUTS 2 development regions of Romania in 2013. The variables used in the analysis were grouped using factor analysis in two factors. The results of the primary analysis reveal a greater emphasis on the fi rst factor, represented by institutions, and less importance given to the second factor, represented by family and friends. However, potential female entrepreneurs are characterised by a tendency to overestimate the fi rst factor, as positive on the one hand or rather negative on the other, in terms of starting an entrepreneurial approach. Our results point out the need for a stronger...

When Romania joined the European Union (EU) in 2007, it did so with significant structural drawbacks. This paper investigates, in this context, the influence of the considerable levels of financial support given under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on the overall productivity of Romanian agriculture. Using data for a 15-year time horizon (1998-2013), we show that the policy incentives have not yet produced any positive effects on the Total Factor Productivity index. Moreover, the increases in the input index remain higher than the output index, reducing the overall productivity of Romanian agriculture. This is explained by a low share of high value-added products in the total agricultural production and agricultural structures that are not yet compatible with those of Western Europe. The new CAP financial allocation must correct these negative findings by supporting new investments in the food processing industry and the better marketing of agricultural products.