BIODIESEL IN ROMANIA - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RURAL ECONOMY?

Since society acknowledged the environmental impact of fossil fuel use and their limits it is facing now the challenge of using renewable energy sources. Romania also acknowledged the strategic importance of renewable energy sources since they contribute to increase the national resource base's added value through using internal resources instead of external ones. Biodiesel production represents a great opportunity for rural economy since in Romania there are approximately one million hectares of non productive agricultural land which could be used for energy crops (rapeseed, soybean, sun flower), Attracting investment for biodiesel production is a great chance for agriculture, but also for the big consumers such as transportation companies. They could use cheaper fuels which also cut down pollutant emissions, especially greenhouse gases. Our paper searches answers to questions such as: which is the social, economic and environmental impact of biodiesel production in Romania; which criteria should we use to assess effectiveness; which is Romania's potential for biodiesel production and where are we now; the governmental and European support for biodiesel production is a compromise which will be accepted by Romanian farmers regardless to the long term environmental impact of these crops. Even there are a tremendous debate regarding biofuels, the scientific community certifies their contribution to a healthier environment. Therefore we consider important to submit our proposal regarding the potential of biodiesel to contribute to a better quality of life for rural population.