The USAID Mission to Romania officially closed operations on August 29, 2008.

Program achievements by major goals

Building Civil Society To Give People A Voice

• National professional associations of local public servants, including IT administrators, chief architects, and economic directors provide professional development services to, and advocate on behalf of their constituencies.
• Twenty-nine American-Romanian NGO partnerships mobilize communities to participate in solving community issues.
• The Resource Center for Public Participation provides training to NGOs and public institutions on how to develop public policies with citizens' input.
• Fifty NGOs have designed and implemented long-term strategies to develop their organizations, while addressing a wide range of national and local issues.
• NGO coalitions advocate for needed changes in NGO and anti-trafficking legislation.
• Special Olympics in Romania is fully established as a national network of public and private institutions providing services for the disabled.
• 176 Water Users Associations, covering 650,000 hectares, operate as private commercial entities for irrigation of agricultural land.
• The Biotech Farmers Association promotes high productivity GMO crops.
• Agri-business associations for millers and bakers, meat processors, wine exporters, organic farmers, and forest owners provide professional services to their constituencies on business development, and advocate for relevant legislative change.
• The Advocacy Academy in Timisoara trains business associations and NGOs in lobbying and advocacy campaigns.
• The National Federation of Social Workers developed professional and ethics standards to increase the quality of social services in Romania .
• The Coalition of Women Business Association (CAFA) was created in 2004. CAFA assisted their 19 member associations to actively participate in major initiatives and events that require grassroots support such as public hearings, public debates, legislative proposals, amendments, and participation in governmental dialogues. 

Investing In People To Improve Living Standards

• The Post Graduate Environmental Studies Program was established at the Technical University in Cluj. Over eleven years, 320 students and managers from the public and private sectors were trained on addressing environmental issues both at the business and the country level.
• Romanian-American credit programs have made more than 14,500 loans totaling
• $106 million, and have created more than 21,700 jobs and sustained more than 85,000.
• 70,000 working women, and up to 100,000 youth, young adults, or adults were educated on health issues related to family health and AIDS awareness.
• A decentralized child welfare system is utilizing USAID-developed Child Welfare Monitoring and Tracking Information System implemented countrywide, providing the means for a more efficient use of resources.
• Almost 1,000 Community Boards were created and are active in mobilizing local resources to prevent abandonment of children in their communities.
• Over 400 child welfare community-based services were created to replace state-run institutions. More than 100 NGOs provide quality child welfare services, and more than 65,000 children are using new community social welfare services - up from zero in 1990. Fewer than 23,000 children are still in state-run institutions - down from 170,000 in 1990. Only 27 state-run child welfare institutions still host over 100 children each, down from 700 in 1990.
• National standards for child welfare services allow for an increased and consistent quality of care.
• 20,000 Special Olympics athletes were assisted with social re-integration.
• The National Reproductive Health Strategy and a national management information system for reproductive health services were created that guide efforts for improved reproductive health services.
• The Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) financing system for hospitals allows for more efficient management of hospital costs, changing cost centers from number of beds to number of cases resolved.
• Regulations for the implementation of health sector legislation, legislation for private health insurance, and the National Primary Health Care Policy were established as enabling vehicles for reforming the health sector.
• Over 5,000 primary health care doctors and over 2,500 nurses offer integrated reproductive health services in 85% of rural communities, after being trained in USAID programs. The total abortion rate is lower than the annual birth rate, down from 3.2/women in 1994 to 0.8 per woman in 2004, due in part to USAID-assistance to integrate reproductive health services into the primary health care system and to make family planning services available in post-partum and post-abortion clinics.
• USAID reproductive health assistance has contributed to a positive trend of the contraceptive prevalence rates among currently married women aged 15-49: 57% in 1993, 64% in 1999 and 70% in 2004.

Fostering Institutions And Legislation To Support Democracy And Strengthen The Market-Economy

• The Free Access to Public Information (FOIA) Law was enacted serving as a vehicle to increase transparency of government activities and performance.
• The Administrative Procedures Act was passed opening the door for public participation in the development of business legislation.
• Procedures within the Ministry of Justice and courts were streamlined to increase institutions efficiency and transparency.
• The National Institute of Magistrates was established, providing both entrance and life long training for magistrates.
• Ethics codes for judges, clerks, and prosecutors were developed to improve the act of justice.
• A network of political activists skilled in party building and electoral campaign management was created to improve communication with party constituencies.
• A Constituency Services Manual was developed to serve as the basis for training staff of the local constituency offices, and as reference tool for constituency operations within each political party.
• The law on Local Public Finance (1998) and amendments to the law on Local Taxes and Fees (1997 and 2002) were drafted and implemented advancing decentralization of local public administration.
• A national network of citizen info rmation centers was created to respond to thousands of citizens queries on local governments activity and procedures.
• The Social Development Fund and the Romanian Association for Community Development were established, supporting development projects in poor communities.
• National regulatory commissions for gas, electricity, and communication and information technology are fully operational, providing regulatory leadership in the specific areas.
• The Private Pension Commission created jointly with World Bank serves as the regulatory body of the private pension system in Romania .
• The Securities Commission and the Association of Securities Dealers were established, monitoring activities of the Securities market.
• The Competition Council staff was trained to efficiently carry out its anti-monopoly mandate.
• Staff at the National Bank of Romania 's legal and regulatory department was trained to fight corruption, money laundering, and terrorist financing.
• The National Bank has in place a strong supervision team and has introduced prudential rules that stabilized the banking system.
• A Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) was established and trained within the IT Ministry to deal with prevention of cyber crime.
• E-governance and e-business projects are working throughout Romania , serving as models for further deployment. Examples include: Document Management and Tax Automation System at the Giurgiu City Hall; Sibiu Social Services Assistance Integrated System; Library Informatics System with the National Collective Catalogue & Digital Library; Hospital Integrated Informatics System implemented in Targoviste; Infosocial Network in Slatina, Environmental Integrated Informatics System in Ramnicu Valcea; Local Economic Development through e-Learning facilities established in Calafat; e-Business Agricultural Portal for Galati, Bacau, Buzau, Vaslui and Vrancea counties.
• A multitude of pro-market policies, laws, and regulations were drafted and implemented covering areas such as capital markets, municipal bonds, warehouse receipts, corporate bonds, residential mortgages, liberalization of the energy market, conflict of interest and asset disclosure for public employees, private pensions, micro-credit, and business registration.
• The Environmental Law and subsequent regulations were drafted and implemented promoting private investment in pollution free technology for a more efficient use of raw materials and improved environmental compliance.
• T he National Environmental Fund was established, implementing critical pollution prevention and mitigation projects.
• An integrated hydrological water management system was developed to reduce flood damage and casualties.

Increasing Market Competitiveness

• The power and gas markets were liberalized, setting the ground for competition in the sectors. Two large electricity generating companies are in the privatization process with USAID assistance.
• Banca Agricola, currently one of the most successful banks in Romania , was assisted in privatization.
• Three light-industry companies were privatized attracting $3.2 million in investments.
• The Romanian-American Enterprise Fund provided $64 million of equity capital, which leveraged an additional $290 million that was invested in private businesses, enabling job creation and increased competitiveness.
• A micro-finance institution was established to provide lending services complementary to those offered by banks to small business for their development.
• Six rural tele-centers were set up to serve as model for further development of the national network which is required under the EU universal service requirements.
• Five Romanian meat processing plants meet international food safety standards enabling them to export to the EU and the U.S.
• The Center for Business Excellence and the Center for Entrepreneurship were created to provide a platform for increased access to business opportunities by small and medium size firms.
• An eco-tourism certification program was created to promote environmentally sustainable tourism that meets international standards.
• The Brasov County Tourism Association was rejuvenated, promoting tourism opportunities in the area.
• Waste management and pollution prevention measures, for which USAID provided assistance and leveraged technology investments, have helped companies save $1.2 million annually.
• More than $400 million was leveraged from World Bank, EBRD, EU, Romanian Government and U.S. EXIMBANK to build municipal wastewater treatment plants .
• Production of milk, pork, poultry, fruits and vegetables, alfalfa and soybeans, was increased through new technologies and improved management practices.
• Increased exports of agricultural products such as organic honey, wine and processed meats.
• Improved marketing services have helped small businesses in rural and eco tourism increase revenues by 5% annually.
• IT certification programs have helped increased worldwide recognition of Romanian IT skills.

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