Energy efficiency– reduction of 10toe 33.6 toe (2012) Early school leaving in % < 11.3% 17.3% (2013) Tertiary education in % 26.7% 22.8% (2013) < 580,000 8,907,000 (2012) energy consumption in TOE (thousand tones oil equivalent) Reduction of population at risk of poverty or social exclusion in number of persons Source: Eurostat, Europe 2020 Targets – all information are based on the latest available data Tailoring the Digital Agenda for Romania While the above environment is necessary to give context to the National Strategy on Digital Agenda for Romania, this needs to be tailored and adapted to the current national economic and social climate. The underpinning principle of Romania’s Strategy is creating a competitive environment which encourages and attracts honest tax-paying citizens and businesses, which in turn is the paramount measure of a country’s success and sustainable long-term growth. Romania is the seventh largest country in the EU in terms of population (20.12 million) and the second largest from the group of New Member States, after Poland. Within 2001-2008, the Romanian economy expanded by an average of 5-6 percent per year, representing one of the fastest growth rates in the European Union. During 2009-2012, the GDP of Romania had an oscillating trend. A modest economic recovery is forecast with ~ 2.2% in 2014. Nevertheless, Romania is still lagging significantly behind the majority of European countries in terms of economic development. GDP per capita recorded in purchasing power standard (PPS) was just under half of the EU 27 average in 2012 and only around 70% of the average GDP per capita of the new EU Member States. Targeted and prioritized investments in ICT are essential in meeting the specific targets set by Digital Agenda for Europe 2014 – 2020, and in turn is the main lever for converging to the Europe 2020 strategic targets. This strong association between the strategic objectives and the specific objectives in ICT is characterized by the pervasive reach of the digital economy and the transformation properties that implementing ICT can have on several layers (legislation, innovation, procedural changes, behavioral changes etc.). In terms of funding, as it is mentioned in the Romanian Partnership Agreement for the 2014 -2020 programming period, the investments in the field of ICT’s will proceed under the umbrella of the National Strategy for Digital Agenda – the strategic policy framework for digital growth. That is why we believe it is of utmost importance for the Digital Agenda for Romania to build the foundation for coherent and convergent initiatives, that will allow Romania to have a clear roadmap for the future and a strategic vision which takes into account all the interdependencies and background factors (demographic & social context, strengths and weaknesses of the legislation framework, long-term vs. near-term goals, economic disparity etc.). Page 6 of 172