EUROPEAN RURAL DEVELOPMENT NETWORK

XII
th
CONFERENCE
2014

The State Agrarian University of Moldova

in cooperation with
National Institute for Economic Research, Academy of Sciences of Moldova
Romanian Academy - Institute of Agricultural Economics
& Economic and Social Research Institute "Gheorghe Zane Iai,
Foundation Terra Nostra, Iai



2-4 October 2014

CHIINU, REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA


RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN EASTERN EU
AND NEIGHBURHOOD COUNTRIES
PRESENT AND FUTURE


Background

People in today's business world of uncertainty always accompanied by innovation,
will survive only if they engage in the processes of economic integration, intensification
and deepening processes of the interdependence between the economies, elimination of
economic borders.
The agri-food model that has asserted itself over the last fifty years is one of the causes of
the most serious environmental and climate changes ever experienced by humanity. On one hand,
in so far as they were considered inextinguishable, natural resources such as water, land, forests
and woods have been exploited indiscriminately, and have hence deteriorated irreversibly. On the
other hand, industrial farming has made an increasingly unbridled use of inputs of fossil origin,
such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides and plastics.
At the same time, the financial problems that have appeared in recent years as a result of
the beginning of global economic-financial crisis put an increasing pressure upon EU evolution as a
whole. Finding additional financial resources for agriculture and rural areas will have to be
intensified and stimulated. Major challenges are to ensure food security and sovereignty, response
to environmental and climate crisis, and revigorate the economy and employment in agriculture and
rural areas.

European Union countries undergo a difficult phase to joint their efforts with the
community and the Eastern neighborhood states that expect to strengthen their place
among democratic nations and live in the hope to integrate their national economy in the
European Union Common Market in order build a new socio-economic system based on
market relations.
The emergence of a new socio-economic system open to the world, the triggering
process to joint their efforts with the international community, the trade liberalization will
produce arguably significant changes not only in form, but also fundamentally, in the
economic life.
Agriculture for all countries was and is still a support for the human existence and,
therefore, it is the most powerful factor in harmonizing the balance of economic
development. Firstly, the agriculture aims to ensure food security of the population, which
is determined by food availability, food supply and accessibility of food requirements at
affordable prices both for the producer and consumer. However, agriculture is also the
branch that contributes to the rural development.
Starting from the axiom that the free movement of goods within the common
market is not extended automatically over the agricultural trade, the common market for
agricultural commodities must be accompanied by the establishment of a common
agricultural policy among the Member States, which is currently extended for the Eastern
Partnership countries too.
The Common Agricultural Policy should have been directed towards improving
agricultural productivity by promoting technical progress and optimal use of production
factors, especially labor force, ensuring the standard of living in rural areas appropriate to
the way of life in the country.
Last but not least, we would like to focus on the competitiveness of agri-food
products in the EU, which are facing direct and permanent competition with similar
products from other regions of the world and the way in which the financial resources have
been correctly directed and efficiently used.
Each EU member country can have its own policy respecting the principles:
community preference (setting trade barriers around the single market), financial solidarity
(sharing revenues and costs) and joint financing, supporting the prices for agricultural
products prices with low elasticity of the offer, as cereals, sugar, table wine etc.
This situation obliges undoubtedly to amplify the exchange of views formed in
trials of the agriculture economic integration process and its consequences over the rural
development both in the Member States of the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries.
It is out of these reasons that we consider it necessary that the ERDN meeting from 2014
has as main theme the evaluation of current situation in agriculture and rural area as well as their
perspectives.

Objectives

The Conference aims to stimulate theoretical and empirical contributions on the proposed
theme and brings together economists, sociologists, geographers, agronomists, ecologists, policy
makers, rural planners, managers and others, in order to discuss and assess new perspectives in the
future rural development plans. We will welcome comparative analyses between structures,
strategies and challenges of the economies inside EU and different countries in transition.
At the same time, we intend to extend our concerns and sphere of interest by attracting new
members in ERDN, to deliver new outputs of our activities, to promote and share the results of our

concerns with other participants, networks and actors, to create a rich and favorable background for
future collaborations.

The objectives of the Conference are:

Evaluation of the effects of Eastern Partnership.
Analysis and refining common goal systems for agriculture and rural development
(determination of specific social needs) in different EU member states, at different stages
of development and integration with the EU and transition countries.
Determination of competitiveness of agri-food products from Eastern partnership countries
on EU agri-food market and best practices identified in rural development.
Identification of challenges, opportunities and risks for sustainable rural development
within the Eastern Partnership Multilateral Platforms 2014-2017.
Connection of networks and people.

Topics

During the two full days of the Conference, three thematic sessions are planned. The topics
are:
I) Structural changes in agriculture and rural areas in different EU member states and
Eastern Partnership countries: present and future
II) Financial aspects/alternatives in agriculture and rural development
III) Competitiveness of agri-food products on EU - Eastern Partnership intra and extra
trade markets

Important Dates

The deadlines of the Conference are:
08.06 - Submission of abstracts
20.06 - Notification of acceptance/rejection
30.06/20.07 - Pre-Registration/Registration
25.08 - Submission of full paper and of power point presentation
02.10/04.10 - Conference

Guide for authors

Proposals must take the form of a detailed abstract that should not exceed two pages (1
spaced) written in English (Times New Roman 12). Only Word or PDF documents are accepted.
A scientific committee according to the usual academic criteria will evaluate proposals:
originality of the problems and the expected results, theoretical background, quality of the
empirical instruments and compatibility of the topic with the general themes of the conference.
Selected papers must be presented during the conference. Decisions will be announced to the
potential contributors by e-mail.
Before the Conference the participants will get the CD proceedings with all abstracts and a
printout copy of the accepted full papers.
Before the conference, up to August 25, 2014, the participants must provide to the
organizers their Full paper, ready for print. The full paper earlier submission is welcomed.
The Full papers should be in English, a maximum of 15 pages including title, authors,
affiliation, contact address, abstract, keywords, figures, tables and references. Computer files

should be in MS Word format, Times New Roman 12 pt, simple spaced. It will be a reviewed
process of all papers presented during the conference.
Abstracts and Full Papers should be sent to: erdn2014@yahoo.com.

Presentations

All speakers will have an oral presentation up to 20 min. with slides that should be made in
PowerPoint format. For technical reasons, the presentation must be send to organizers one week
before the Conference (deadline 30.09.2013), by e-mail (erdn2014@yahoo.com).
The final program of the conference will be provided on a later stage.

Conference Language

The conference language is English.

Conference Venue

The State Agrarian University of Moldova, Chisinau, Republic of Moldova
Place: Administrative building, str. Mirceti 42, zip code: 2049, Chiinu, Moldova

Accommodation

Hotel Doina within the National Labor Institute complex, Chisinau, str. Zimbrului 10

Conference fee

The fee of the conference is 250 EUR. The fee includes: national transportation (from
airport to Conference venue and return), accommodation (during the 3 nights of the Conference),
meals of the day, coffee breaks, conference materials, field trips. Accompanying persons or persons
without presentation who want to attend the Conference must pay the Conference fee.
Invited guests and sponsors of the Conference are beneficiaries of a grant (covering local
transport in Moldova, accommodation, meals, field trips costs) and exempted from the Conference
fee.
Note: the beneficiaries of the grant who do not need it and can support the Conference fee
from their own budget must announce the organizers.
The Conference fee can be paid by bank transfer (the account will be provided later) or
directly at the Conference venue.

Transportation

The arrival: We suggest you to arrive in Moldova on 1
st
of October.
The departure: we suggest you to book the ticket back to your home on 4
th
(preferably
afternoon) or 5
th
of October.

Conference Committee

Scientific Committee:

Certan Ion, USM, Moldova
Certan Simion, UASM, Moldova

Chmielinski Pawel, IERIGZ-PIB, Poland
Cimpoie Drago, UASM, Moldova
Fieldsend Andrew, AKI, Hungary
Florianczyk Zbygniew, IERIGZ-PIB, Poland
Gavrilescu Camelia, Romanian Academy-IAE, Romania
Klaus Wagner, AWI, Austria
Kristina-Melinda Dobay, ICES-Gh.Zane, Romania
Paun-Ion Otiman, Romanian Academy-IAE, Romania
Stratan Alexandru, INCE, Moldova
Voicila Dan-Marius, Romanian Academy-IAE, Romania
Valentin-Mihai Bohatre, ICES-Gh.Zane, Romania

Organising Committee:

Certan Ion, USM, Moldova
Certan Simion, UASM, Moldova
Chmielinski Pawel, IERIGZ-PIB, Poland
Cimpoie Drago, UASM, Moldova
Dan-Marius Voicila, Romanian Academy-IAE, Romania
Lilia Ghitiu, INCE, Moldova
Litvin Aurelia, UASM, Moldova
Matei Daniela, ICES-Gh.Zane, Romania
Morei Virgil, UASM, Moldova
Tomia Petru, UASM, Moldova


Editors:

Certan Ion, USM, Moldova
Cimpoie Drago, UASM, Moldova
Dan-Marius Voicila, Romanian Academy-IAE, Romania
Ignat Anatol, INCE, Moldova


Information & Contact

Ion Certan
The State Agrarian University of Moldova (UASM)
str. Mircesti 42
MD 2049, Chiinu,
Republic of Moldova
Phone: +373 789 61 372
Fax: +373 22 312-276
E-mail: erdn2014@yahoo.com
Web: www.erdn.eu



PRE-REGISTRATION FORM

Ms. Mr.

Title
First Name
Last Name
Organization
Department
Position
Address
Phone
Fax
E-mail
Title of your presentation/Session
You are coming by Plane Train Bus Car
Date and place of arrival
Date and place of departure
Do you need transportation from
airport to the venue of the
conference?
Yes No
Payment modality Cash at venue Bank Transfer

The pre-registration form must be sent to the Conference Organization
Committee not later than 20
nd
July by e-mail: erdn2014@yahoo.com

The final programme and further information will be sent to you after the last
day of the pre-registration deadline.