IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i13p5458-d381263.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Attracting European Funds in the Romanian Economy and Leverage Points for Securing their Sustainable Management: A Critical Auditing Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Valentin-Marian Antohi

    (Department of Business Administration, Dunarea de Jos University, 800001 Galati, Romania)

  • Monica Laura Zlati

    (Department of Accounting, Audit and Finance, Stefan cel Mare University, 720229 Suceava, Romania)

  • Romeo Victor Ionescu

    (Department of Administrative Sciences and Regional Studies, Dunarea de Jos University, 800201 Galati, Romania)

  • Mihaela Neculita

    (Department of Economics, Dunarea de Jos University, 800001 Galati, Romania)

  • Raluca Rusu

    (Department of Economics, Dunarea de Jos University, 800001 Galati, Romania)

  • Aurelian Constantin

    (Institute of National Economy, Romanian Academy, 050711 Bucharest, Romania
    Department of Accounting and Finance, Valahia University, 130004 Targoviste, Romania
    Finance and Business Administration Department, Danubius Univesity, 800654 Galati, Romania)

Abstract

Against the backdrop of Romania’s successive negative performance in attracting European funds (coming last in the EU top), as indicated by audit reports for projects that have been funded so far, this paper proposes a new approach in relation to analysis and performance improvement in securing EU funds, while identifying viable solutions for the betterment of the current situation. Furthermore, the authors develop a new audit performance analysis model (NOP), described as a dynamic and flexible model, based on reducing the fraud and error risk in the structural fund management of European-funded projects. The analysis methods encompass literature reviews, observational studies, database management, statistical analysis, and the synthesis of the whole findings. The main conclusion of the analysis is the critical necessity of integrity improvement in the context of managing the non-reimbursable funds through audit activities based on ISA805, the international standard on auditing European-funded projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Valentin-Marian Antohi & Monica Laura Zlati & Romeo Victor Ionescu & Mihaela Neculita & Raluca Rusu & Aurelian Constantin, 2020. "Attracting European Funds in the Romanian Economy and Leverage Points for Securing their Sustainable Management: A Critical Auditing Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-27, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:13:p:5458-:d:381263
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/13/5458/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/13/5458/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zaman, Gheorghe & Georgescu, George, 2014. "The absorption of EU Structural and Cohesion Funds in Romania: international comparisons and macroeconomic impact," MPRA Paper 57450, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Omar Farooq & Nermeen F. Shehata, 2018. "Does external auditing combat corruption? Evidence from private firms," Managerial Auditing Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 33(3), pages 267-287, March.
    3. John Bachtler & Carlos Mendez & Hildegard Oraže, 2014. "From Conditionality to Europeanization in Central and Eastern Europe: Administrative Performance and Capacity in Cohesion Policy," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 735-757, April.
    4. Guido Pellegrini & Flavia Terribile & Ornella Tarola & Teo Muccigrosso & Federica Busillo, 2013. "Measuring the effects of European Regional Policy on economic growth: A regression discontinuity approach," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 92(1), pages 217-233, March.
    5. David Howarth & Aneta Spendzharova, 2019. "Accountability in Post‐Crisis Eurozone Governance: The Tricky Case of the European Stability Mechanism," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(4), pages 894-911, July.
    6. Cristina BATUSARU & Alexandra OTETEA & Mihai Aristotel UNGUREANU, 2015. "7 Years Of European Funding In Romania - Between Success And Failure," EURINT, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 2, pages 21-35.
    7. Riccardo Crescenzi & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2012. "Infrastructure and regional growth in the European Union," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 91(3), pages 487-513, August.
    8. Ionela-Corina CHERSAN, 2019. "Audit Quality and Several of Its Determinants," The Audit Financiar journal, Chamber of Financial Auditors of Romania, vol. 17(153), pages 1-93.
    9. William A. Barnett & Neepa B. Gaekwad, 2018. "The Demand for Money for EMU: a Flexible Functional Form Approach," Open Economies Review, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 353-371, April.
    10. Ioana Jeler (Popa), 2018. "Particularities of The Controlled Exercise on Projects Financed From European Funds," International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences, vol. 8(1), pages 51-56, January.
    11. Sorin Gabriel Anton & Ionel Bostan, 2017. "The Role of Access to Finance in Explaining Cross-National Variation in Entrepreneurial Activity: A Panel Data Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-16, October.
    12. Palea, Vera, 2017. "Whither accounting research? A European view," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 59-73.
    13. Siti Nuryanah & Sardar M. N. Islam, 2015. "The Context of the Case Study," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Corporate Governance and Financial Management, chapter 5, pages 145-156, Palgrave Macmillan.
    14. Carlos Pinho & Celeste Varum & Micaela Antunes, 2015. "Structural Funds and European Regional Growth: Comparison of Effects among Different Programming Periods," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7), pages 1302-1326, July.
    15. Jeppesen, Kim K., 2019. "The role of auditing in the fight against corruption," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(5).
    16. Andreas P Kyriacou & Oriol Roca-Sagalés, 2012. "The Impact of EU Structural Funds on Regional Disparities within Member States," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 30(2), pages 267-281, April.
    17. Anita Boros & Csaba Fogarassy, 2019. "Relationship between Corporate Sustainability and Compliance with State-Owned Enterprises in Central-Europe: A Case Study from Hungary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-23, October.
    18. Biondi Yuri, 2014. "Harmonising European Public Sector Accounting Standards (EPSAS): Issues and Perspectives for Europe’s Economy and Society," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 4(3), pages 1-14, December.
    19. Jale Tosun, 2014. "Absorption of Regional Funds: A Comparative Analysis," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(2), pages 371-387, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. George Cristian Schin & Nicoleta Cristache & Cosmin Matis, 2023. "Fostering social entrepreneurship through public administration support," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 481-500, June.
    2. Veronica Grosu & Dorel Mateș & Monica-Laura Zlati & Svetlana Mihaila & Marian Socoliuc & Marius-Sorin Ciubotariu & Simona-Maria Tanasă, 2020. "Econometric Model for Readjusting Significance Threshold Levels through Quick Audit Tests Used on Sustainable Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-32, October.
    3. Ionel Bostan, 2021. "Special Issue “Audit and Financial Control Tools Aimed at Ensuring the Sustainable Performance of Organizations”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-4, September.
    4. Ionel Bostan & Mihaela Brindusa Tudose & Raluca Irina Clipa & Ionela Corina Chersan & Flavian Clipa, 2021. "Supreme Audit Institutions and Sustainability of Public Finance. Links and Evidence along the Economic Cycles," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-24, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Julia Bachtrögler & Christoph Hammer & Wolf Heinrich Reuter & Florian Schwendinger, 2019. "Guide to the galaxy of EU regional funds recipients: evidence from new data," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 46(1), pages 103-150, February.
    2. Eirini Aivazidou & Giovanni Cunico & Edoardo Mollona, 2020. "Beyond the EU Structural Funds’ Absorption Rate: How Do Regions Really Perform?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-24, July.
    3. Mindaugas Butkus & Alma Mačiulytė-Šniukienė & Kristina Matuzevičiūtė, 2020. "Mediating Effects of Cohesion Policy and Institutional Quality on Convergence between EU Regions: An Examination Based on a Conditional Beta-Convergence Model with a 3-Way Multiplicative Term," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-37, April.
    4. Bachtrögler, Julia & Hammer, Christoph & Reuter, Wolf Heinrich & Schwendinger, Florian, 2017. "Spotlight on the beneficiaries of EU regional funds: A new firm-level dataset," Working Papers 02/2017, German Council of Economic Experts / Sachverständigenrat zur Begutachtung der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung.
    5. Bachtrögler, Julia, 2016. "On the effectiveness of EU structural funds during the Great Recession: Estimates from a heterogeneous local average treatment effects framework," Department of Economics Working Paper Series 230, WU Vienna University of Economics and Business.
    6. Mindaugas Butkus & Alma Maciulyte-Sniukiene & Renata Macaitiene & Kristina Matuzeviciute, 2021. "A New Approach to Examine Non-Linear and Mediated Growth and Convergence Outcomes of Cohesion Policy," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-28, July.
    7. Scotti, Francesco & Flori, Andrea & Pammolli, Fabio, 2022. "The economic impact of structural and Cohesion Funds across sectors: Immediate, medium-to-long term effects and spillovers," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    8. Riccardo Crescenzi & Mara Giua, 2018. "One or Many Cohesion Policies of the European Union? On the Diverging Impacts of Cohesion Policy across Member States," SERC Discussion Papers 0230, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    9. Ekaterina Domorenok & Paolo Graziano & Laura Polverari, 2021. "Policy integration, policy design and administrative capacities. Evidence from EU cohesion policy [Joined-up Government in the Western World in comparative perspective: A preliminary literature rev," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 40(1), pages 58-78.
    10. Andreas P. Kyriacou & Leonel Muinelo-Gallo & Oriol Roca-Sagalés, 2018. "The efficiency of transport infrastructure investment and the role of institutions: an empirical analysis," Working Papers. Collection B: Regional and sectoral economics 1802, Universidade de Vigo, GEN - Governance and Economics research Network.
    11. Riccardo Crescenzi & Mara Giua, 2020. "One or many Cohesion Policies of the European Union? On the differential economic impacts of Cohesion Policy across member states," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(1), pages 10-20, January.
    12. Kyriacou, Andreas P. & Muinelo-Gallo, Leonel & Roca-Sagalés, Oriol, 2019. "The efficiency of transport infrastructure investment and the role of government quality: An empirical analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 93-102.
    13. Mindaugas Butkus & Alma Maciulyte-Sniukiene & Kristina Matuzeviciute, 2020. "Heterogeneous growth outcomes of the EU’s regional financial support mediated by institutions with some empirical evidences at NUTS 3 level," Review of Regional Research: Jahrbuch für Regionalwissenschaft, Springer;Gesellschaft für Regionalforschung (GfR), vol. 40(1), pages 33-66, April.
    14. Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose, 2020. "Institutions and the fortunes of territories," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(3), pages 371-386, June.
    15. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Tobias Ketterer, 2020. "Institutional change and the development of lagging regions in Europe," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(7), pages 974-986, July.
    16. Augusto Cerqua & Guido Pellegrini & Ornella Tarola, 2022. "Can regional policies shape migration flows?," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 101(3), pages 515-536, June.
    17. Ferraro, Aniello & Cerciello, Massimiliano & Agovino, Massimiliano & Garofalo, Antonio, 2021. "Do public policies reduce social exclusion? The role of national and supranational economic tools," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 165-181.
    18. Arnaoutoglou, Nikolaos-Boleslav, 2022. "Institutions and Cohesion Policy in the European Union," MPRA Paper 113543, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Kilroy,Austin Francis Louis & Ganau,Roberto, 2020. "Economic Growth in European Union NUTS-3 Regions," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9494, The World Bank.
    20. Zsolt Darvas & Guntram B. Wolff, 2018. "The EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework and some implications for CESEE countries," Focus on European Economic Integration, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q3-18, pages 77-86.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:13:p:5458-:d:381263. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.