The environmental Kuznets curve is defined as the proposition that pollution increases in the early stages of economic development and decreases in advanced economies. It could be verified for many environmental parameters and is based on concepts that make it likely that it could also be applied to the occurrence of food waste in households. Within the frame of a comparative case study, a standardised survey on actual food waste behaviour in 1,510 Chinese, Romanian and Swiss households explore whether rich countries reduce their per capita food waste as compared to middle-income countries. Young people throw away more food than older ones, particularly in Switzerland, which appears to be in contradiction to the Kuznets curve. However, it can be shown that Romanian and Chinese consumers declare more food waste than consumers in Switzerland and that the differences between the countries can be explained by differences in attitudes and behaviour. This is an indicator that the concept of the Kuznets curve can be applied to the problem of food waste.

The EU regional policy has been an ongoing concern of both the Member States and the candidate countries for accession. Its economic, social and territorial cohesion principles have been developed to sustain the stability and development of European integration. The Romania has established in 1998 its own regions of development, opening the gate to the implementation of regional development policies. Six regions of Romania, exactly the whole country, excepting the Bucharest Ilfov Region and West Region of development, are ranked among the 20 poorest EU regions, located in four countries of Central and Eastern EuropeBulgaria, Romania, Poland and Hungary, which joined the EU in the last two enlargements. For Romania, reducing territorial disparities and achieving a balance between economic and social development levels of its regions is therefore a matter of utmost importance. This aspect has to be considered related with the new European Union's multi-faceted approach, which seems to replace its traditional mechanisms based on regional redistribution policies and programs. This paper analyses the existing situation at the regional level in Romania, with particular reference to one of its poorest regions, which require the highest socio-economic development support: the North East Region.