Green Initiative and Mineral Governance: The Interplay of EU Policies and Romania’s Regulatory Framework

Dana-Georgeta Alexandru (), Emil Balan, Ionuț Bogdan Berceanu, Cristi Iftene and Gabriela Varia
Additional contact information
Dana-Georgeta Alexandru: Faculty of Law, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (LBUS), 550024 Sibiu, Romania
Emil Balan: Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), 012244 Bucharest, Romania
Ionuț Bogdan Berceanu: Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), 012244 Bucharest, Romania
Cristi Iftene: Faculty of Law and Administrative Science, Ovidius University of Constanța (OUC), 900527 Constanța, Romania
Gabriela Varia: Faculty of Public Administration, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA), 012244 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: The global shift toward green technologies presents a dual challenge: surging demand for clean technology products and an increasing reliance on critical raw materials (CRMs). While the existing literature has largely concentrated on economic, geopolitical, or general governance perspectives, scant attention has been devoted to the legal, institutional, and justice dimensions of mineral resource governance. This article addresses this gap by examining the European Union’s evolving policy framework—particularly the Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act—and its implications for Romania’s national regulatory landscape. Employing a mixed-method approach that combines a systematic literature review and a SWOT analysis, this study assesses Romania’s capacity to align its mineral governance with the EU’s objectives for supply security, environmental sustainability, and strategic autonomy. Its findings underscore the urgent need for Romania to streamline its regulatory frameworks, enhance institutional coherence, clarify property rights, and reform licensing and fiscal regimes to attract investment and ensure legal predictability. Advancing green mining technologies, recycling initiatives, and sustainability-focused innovations is also vital for aligning national practices with the EU’s environmental and economic goals. By foregrounding issues of transparency, good governance, and procedural justice, this article offers new insights into how national and supranational governance structures intersect in the context of the green transition. This study provides valuable recommendations for policymakers, industry actors, and scholars seeking to strengthen Romania’s position within the EU’s broader resource security and sustainable development strategies.

Keywords: critical minerals; legal framework; institutional design; circular economy; mining sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4512/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4512/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4512-:d:1656620

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().