The European Union sustainable development strategy

Abstract

Sustainable development concerns are not of recent data, this concept belonging to the new economic development theory and it was individualized as an autonomous theoretically body in 1950 -1960. The need to integrate social and economic goals with environmental protection shall constitute the foundation of the sustainable development concept and has become a major concern of all countries in the European Union. Sustainable development requires that between economic development, social development and environmental state to be a causal link, in which, each of the three elements are conditioned and influence each other, meaning that there can be no economic development without the natural resources use or social progress without economic development. Social development and environmental quality are imminent conditions of the development process. In turn, the two elements can affect the development, either in a positive or in a negative way. If the beneficial impact of development translates into increased social welfare and improving the quality of life, it appears as a negative reverse impact, because uncontrolled development can be accompanied by negative effects that endanger environmental quality and hence the welfare of the population.