Roland Berger: 15 years to meet EU standards

Romania requires about 15 years to catch up with EU developmental standards, predominantly in the infrastructure sector, Roland Berger, founder of the international consultancy that bears his name, told ZF. “In the case of incomes of individuals, the improvement could come even sooner than that. Whereas, in the case of infrastructure, modernisation is just a question of time: enough budget funds are available, as well as an interest from private investors, who should be encouraged to become involved,” says Berger, special guest at the 2006 ZF Gala. He thinks the security that the EU member status offers to foreign investors, as well as community pressures on restructuring the administration, can help speed up the gap closing process. “I think the prospect of Romania becoming a so-called tiger of new Europe in terms of economic dynamics is not ungrounded, given that all the ingredients are there,” said Roland Berger. As far as risks are concerned, the head of the consultancy only expects a potential danger in terms of political stability. “Currently, the climate is more or less stable, but there is unrest in the region, in countries like Hungary and the Czech Republic.” Roland Berger believes Romanian companies should not worry too much about withstanding the competition, once Romania enters the common market.