RURAL DEVELOPMENT OF SIBIU COUNTY IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN UNION INTEGRATION

Rural development represents a strategy that aims to set certain objective designed to lead toward the economic (re)vitalization of rural space and to determine the extension of the benefits of economic growth in rural areas over those whose future is tied to the search for means of existence in rural area. The perspective of the Romanian rural space development is positive and is based on two major elements. The first element is the attention of European Union on the rural area, starting with the year 1998 and the Lisbon agenda which places the rural area at the heart of economic development policies due to the opportunities for the diversification of activities. The second element in favor of the development of Romanian countryside is the location area, extended to 87% of the country, where approximately 45% of the population lives. For the current period, a period marked by the efforts of European integration, the economic policy in the Romanian countryside development aims to (re)vitalize the rural economy.