Business-to-business (B2B) corruption, also known as private corruption, refers to unethical or illicit activities between private parties, without the direct participation of the state. Existing literature on the topic, while still limited, has taken several avenues, from qualitative studies to perception-based surveys and research experiments. Upon reviewing key studies and their findings, this article concentrates on research questions related to: business people’s perceptions on the determinants that favor B2B corruption in Romania, consequences of the phenomenon, and potential solutions. Findings are based on primary data collected through a 2019 questionnaire administered to 120 business leaders in Romania. Results confirm earlier studies’ findings that general context, malfunction of the institutions, and mentality favor B2B corruption, and that there is a lack of consensus among the business community on how to recognize and deal with various forms of B2B corruption, despite the widely spread belief that B2B corruption negatively affects business activities. Also, both internal and external solutions are considered to work against B2B corruption. The current article also opens new avenues in the literature, showing that: the probability to face B2B corruption increases with business leaders’ professional experience; preferences on how to deal with corruption cases vary based on a firm’s capital structure (domestic vs. foreign), reflecting the importance of organizational culture; and business leaders overwhelmingly want to fight against B2B corruption through both internal and external measures. Substantial progress, however, will require a proper common understanding by the private sector of what constitutes B2B corruption, including its causes, consequences, and remedies.

In order to facilitate the delivery of integrated development strategies, the European Commission has identified two separate tools: Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) and Integrated territorial investment (ITI). ITI is an instrument, which has been developed for the delivery of funding in geographical areas with particular territorial features, ranging from specific urban neighbourhoods with multiple deprivations to the urban, metropolitan, urban-rural, sub-regional, and inter-regional levels. The Romanian Partnership Agreement for the 2014-2020 programming period highlighted that Romania will prioritize the implementation of ITI in the Danube Delta Biosphere. In this document, unfortunately, growth poles (GPs) are not specifically considered for ITI implementation at this time, though this new instrument could bring significant benefits to Romania's growth engines. The present paper aims to explore the possibilities of ITI application in Romania's GPs, building on the existing concept of integrated urban development, which is already functional in Romania. The exploration will take into account the manifold problems that have appeared in Romania during the 2007-2013 implementation period, including significant criteria that should be developed in selecting ITI areas: the record of contracting rates and absorption rates as potential options. At the same time, the paper aims to introduce an innovative matrix for prioritization of actions within an ITI, in order to maximize their impact. A case study will be developed for Bucharest -as potential area for ITI implementation -emphasizing the role of climate change indicators within the proposed matrix.

Zirimis has provided logistical and administrative support throughout the process. The team would like to thank the colleagues at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (particularly Ionuţ Trincă, Costel Jitaru and Bogdan Ţigău), as well as the colleagues in the Ploiești City Hall and the Prahova County Council, who supported the team throughout. The team would also like to thank peer reviewers Stephen Hammer, Feng Liu, Paula Restrepo, and Pedzi Makumbe, for the excellent feedback provided.

Zirimis has provided logistical and administrative support throughout the process. The team would like to thank the colleagues at the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (particularly Ionuţ Trincă, Costel Jitaru, and Bogdan Ţigău), as well as the colleagues in the Cluj-Napoca City Hall and the Cluj County Council, who supported the team throughout. The team would also like to thank peer reviewers Stephen Hammer, Feng Liu, Paula Restrepo, and Pedzi Makumbe, for the excellent feedback provided.

Methodology /8 Background /11 National Legislation Regarding Energy /11 Background on Timișoara /17