Ocna MuresOcna Mures

ROMANIAROMANIA

HIGH LEVEL CONFERENCE ON THE

URBAN CONSEQUENCES OF EUROPEAN DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSESURBAN CONSEQUENCES OF EUROPEAN DEMOGRAPHIC PROCESSES

Budapest, 3 May 2011

OCNA MURES CITY PROFILE

OCNA MURES OCNA MURES yesterday...yesterday...

Once upon a time...

Ocna Mures

ROMANIA

OCNA MURES OCNA MURES the the citycity

A place in space and time ...

There is a piece of land, placed in the central part of Romania, in the middle of Transylvania, a land known under the name of Ocna Mures, or Uioara as ancient documents attest. Its bimillenary biography certifies Ocna Mures city as one of the most ancient locality in Romania and in Europe. Many discoveries stay evidence of the fact that, even from the First Iron Age, Uioara area, called at that time Marisodava, with its salinifer center, was intensevly inhabitted, beneffitting from an active material life, where bronze foundry manufactories were in full bloom. In Dacian-Roman era, the locality gets the name of Salinae, being one fo the most important salt mining area in Dacia. The spirit of salt and mining gave the destiny of the locality an unique shape and particularity, kept over time as an unwritten standard of those places and those people who called themselves for hundreds of years the salt choppers.

With a surface of aprox 68 sqkm and at an altitude of 281 m, Ocna Mures city sits in between heels and the Mures river, at the cros road of three counties: Alba, Cluj and Mures, being well connected to the transportation infrastructure through the European road E81 and also railway facilities.

The climate is moderate continental, with an annual average temperature of 10 degrees C, influenced by the wet winds from the West and warm winds from the South.

The old salt mines, crashed and flooded, formed some salty lakes which got names inspired by the history, such as „The Roman Mines Lake”, „Iosif” or „Ferdinand”.

The last century was dominated by the chemical industry well represented by Solvay Chemical Plant, now closed.

2010 was a ”dark year” for Ocna Mures city, as besides economic issues caused by the industry closing, furious nature unbound challenged hard, once again, its inhabitants (big floods and land crash).

OCNA MURES OCNA MURES demographicsdemographics

Its inhabitants ...

Hystoricaly prosperous and attractive due to the rich salt mines, the city started to shrink after 1989, as a result of economic continuous decline: the salt mines being crashed and flooded and the industry closing.

• The main element of demographic shrinkage is the youth (0-19 y.o.), with a CAGR 1990-2010 of -2.2%.

• Natality/mortality balance registered continuos decrease, becoming negative over the last decade.

• Industry shrinking determines a M/F balance shift in the favor of female.

• After centuries of continuous attraction of various migrating people, the salt mining and industry down-time led also to dimishing of ethnicities in number and size.

CAGR 2010/1990: -0.4%

Source: Population census

OCNA MURES main indicatorsOCNA MURES main indicators

Economy struggles...

Salt mining ending and industry shrinking drove Ocna Mures turnover and employment dramatic decrease.

While the soda ash plant was running, it delivered over 80% of the city turnover. Over the last 20 years, its activity diminished, causing a decline of the city total turnover. In 2010 the plant stopped activity.

After 1990, many small private companies appeared, but with very limited contribution to the full picture.

Housing sector moving into private ownership.

Source: Local Administration

ROMANIA macrosROMANIA macros

vs. national level where ...• Slow recovery expected starting with 2011.

• Romania PP below half of EU average and close to Turkey.

% 2009 2010 2011

Real GDP Growth (7.1) (2.5) 1.8

Inflation 4.7 8.3 5.0

Unemployment 7.7 10.1 9.2Source: National Bank of Greece

OCNA MURES governanceOCNA MURES governance

Local governance and its relations with the region, state and EU ...

Relation with EU • fund allowances for

environment protection and development;

• simplifying the direct access for the city to European funds on specific issues of the area.

Relation with the state • allowance of funds for the public

sector / institutions;

• co-ordination of big projects for touristic and social development;

• counselling on special topics (i.e. natural desasters);

• management of safe guard and security services

Relation with regional structure • funds allocation;

• promoting the area to investors;

• bilateral projects;

• lead social services and health;

• lead education management (personnel funding and distribution);

• allocation of UE funds for social cases

Local Governance structure

- local Council elected every 4 years: 17 councilors – ethnic representativeness

- in charge with local norms and regulation

- the Major Hall – ensuring the local operating management, including:

- collection of taxes; budget allocation; projects and contracts

OCNA MURES OCNA MURES today...today...

But city still looks nice...

OCNA MURES OCNA MURES potentialpotential

And potential still exists...

There is still a significant amount of resources and reasons to believe in a better future.

A few examples of short and mid term initiatives, with the objective to invigorate the economic sector as the main pillar for recovery the situation and turn around the demographic trend:

Area Some examples Reasons to believe

Balneartourism

ClinicSalty baths and poolsRecreational park around the lakeTeleky castle exploitation

Salty water presenceClean, unpolluted airHistorical artifacts

Industry UPSOM factory retechnologizationOpening new facilities for small industriesReopening traditional handicrafts (glass globes, shepard, woodworking etc.)

Skilled manpowerTradition

Agriculture Farm animalsOrganic cropsFish

No pollution => unpolluted soilSkilled manpowerFavorable geographical positionGlobal H&W (bio) trend

Sport&Culture

Establish a sport school/camp- football, handball, volleyball

Cultural activities:- traditional dans bands-choir

Available sport field and buildingsEx-sport people of high performanceFootball, handball and volleyball clubs opened

Cultural home down-townTradition in folkloric dans and choir