An Analysis of the Circular Economy Performance of the Romanian Agri-Food System

The circular economy represents one of the key pillars of European Union strategies aiming to decouple growth from resource utilization. The circular economy has emerged as a key flagship for European policies related to sustainable agri-food systems, potentially decreasing pressures on resources and the environment while ensuring economic competitiveness. In this context, this study proposed to measure the circularity performance of the Romanian agri-food system compared with average European Union performance, based on Eurostat data indicators for the years 2014 and 2022 and a normalized composite index composed of the economic, environmental, and social pillars. Indicator scores were categorized by higher-is-better or lower-is-better, constrained in the interval [0, 5] and then aggregated with equal weights. The composite index for Romania exhibited values ranging from 3.14 in 2014 to 3.45 in 2022, showing moderate progress. The results indicate a fragmentary transition where areas of strength for Romania were material resilience and trade. At the same time, areas of weakness were the economic integration of circularity practices. The study’s main limitations arise from the limited agri-food specificity of available indicators and the sensitivity of results to weighting choices. Overall, the findings highlight the need for stronger institutional mechanisms and targeted investments to accelerate Romania’s transition toward a circular agri-food economy.