This paper brings, as an element of novelty and originality, a strategic feasibility study, in the form of a logical analysis related to the proposed objective, with particularization to the area of the EFTA plus the UK and Ireland. We tried to achieve an overall picture of a sustainable and prudent transition at the macroeconomic level, but also at the microeconomic and local levels, with specific values of ecological and energy-smart villages/towns. The convergent actions of the signatory states of the climate treaty COP-26/2021—Glasgow, UK are to improve the logistics and financing of the large-scale replacement of fossil fuels used in the economy and lives of human society. Various strategies have been discussed to address the energy mixes that could be used in the transition phase in stages and combined-cycle natural-gas plants, conditioned by the implementation of CCUS technology. The preliminary stage will focus on the provision and implementation of modern technologies for the production of electricity in photovoltaic and wind power. Starting with the 2030s, the industrialized production of blue and green hydrogen is expected; the first is expected to be obtained from the chemical synthesis of natural gas with the separation and storage of residual carbon from chemical reactions, and the second directly from ocean water through the phenomenon of H₂O electrolysis. As a basic legislative element, the strategy aims to refine the idea of a carbon tax at the border or at the user, in order to discourage the use of fossil fuels.

Competitiveness is a concept that shows up in all aspects of human life, both at the micro level, in personal, social, and professional life, and at the macro level, linked to organizational and national competitiveness with long-term effects on global competitiveness. In this paper, we aim to address competitiveness in Romania in the current context, before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting its role in reviving the economy. While until the onset of the pandemic Romania’s competitiveness performance was growing, more recently, because of the global health crisis, it dropped a few places, according to the Global Competitiveness Index report. In order to have a clear picture of the degree of competitiveness in Romania, we have presented a series of statistical data for the most relevant macroeconomic indicators for our study for the 2017–2022 timeframe: the global competitiveness index, the minimum wage, labor productivity, the evolution of real labor productivity per employed person, the economic growth rate, the unemployment rate, the inflation rate, the European innovation index, gross domestic expenditure on research and development, export of goods and services as a share of GDP, etc. The methodology used involves the use of quantitative techniques, performing an econometric analysis, and correlating how the most important macroeconomic indicators can influence the degree of competitiveness at both the national and international level. For the post-pandemic timeframe, the analysis switches focus, just as the economic reality did, looking at energy costs and energy use as determinants of competitiveness. Since notions like circular economy and sustainable development correlate being energy-efficient with being competitive, however, at the same time, the high cost of investments necessary for individual businesses and countries to switch from polluting energies to clean energies impedes or at the very least heavily impacts their ability to compete with entities that don’t make that same switch, it becomes apparent that the energy market impacts competitiveness metrics. Competitiveness promotes valuable contributors and underpins performance at group and company level, and the effects from the micro level will propagate, with an emission effect, to the entire national economy with obvious implications at the international level, through real growth in macroeconomic indicators, increased labor productivity, increased economic performance (market share, export share, return on capital), raising living standards and economic and social wellbeing (life expectancy index, human development index, poverty rate), education (skills, knowledge, abilities, managerial and marketing skills, corporate culture), competitive potential (innovation, R&D, promotion), and in raising the Global Competitiveness Index by focusing on factors of production, efficiency, and innovation, etc.

Digitalization has become a watchword in all areas of economic and social activity, and its integration has become a necessity for every state worldwide. If a few years ago we were talking about technological innovation and cutting-edge technologies we are now talking about digital technologies, robotics, big data, and artificial intelligence, and future industrial production will develop in symbiosis with modern information and communication technology. The paper aims to show the impact of digitalization on macroeconomic indicators, including labor productivity, value-added, and value of exports of goods and services, and in this regard, we have built an econometric model to see how digitalization and the evolution of macroeconomic indicators work, and how they will influence the degree of growth and economic development. The research results verify the hypotheses we started from, namely that there is a positive and strong correlation between digitalization and productivity, as well as between digitalization and value-added, and that there is a positive, yet weaker correlation between digitization and exports. The impact of digitalization on macroeconomic indicators extends beyond the theoretical and practical implications, as they influence both the decision-making process of the companies’ management and national and European economic policies.

Financial education plays a key role in shaping young people’s behavior, helping to raise awareness, especially in terms of consumption. It helps young people to distinguish between wants and needs, to become more rational in managing purchases, to manage their available budget efficiently and to avoid impulse spending. Financial education also gives young people the tools they need to save and invest by setting clear medium- and long-term goals, using appropriate financial instruments for risk assessment and diversifying investment portfolios, such as shares, bonds, mutual funds, or real estate. The present study is based on a quantitative methodology, carried out through a questionnaire survey, with the objective of analyzing the behavior of young economists regarding the relationship between consumption, savings and investment, before and after they participated in a financial education course. The research was carried out in two stages: in the first stage, the majority of young people adopted a consumer behavior and a small percentage were saving; in the second stage, after acquiring financial literacy, young people experienced a significant change in behavior, and the percentage of those who started to save and then invest it in different goals increased significantly (from 20-30% before the course to 40-60% after the course). In the context of digitization, the acquisition of sound financial knowledge is crucial to cope with financial challenges and risks, enabling young people to make informed decisions and benefit from the opportunities that digitization offers in managing money, savings and investments.

Currently, a major challenge for European economies is the volatility of electricity prices, which affects costs borne by households and firms, as well as inflation, economic competitiveness, and energy security. Although the literature has analysed various determinants of electricity prices, there is still limited evidence on the comparative short- and long-term effects of fiscal factors, the natural gas market, and the transition to renewable energy within the Member States of the European Union. This paper analyses the relationship between household electricity prices and a set of economic, climate, and fiscal determinants in EU countries over the period 2017–2025, using panel data econometric methods. The methodology includes pooled OLS models, fixed and random effects estimators, unit root tests, cross-sectional dependence (Pesaran CD) tests, cointegration analysis, and a Panel ARDL-PMG framework, complemented by robustness checks using FMOLS and DOLS-type estimators. The results indicate the existence of a stable long-run equilibrium relationship between the analysed variables, as well as significant cross-sectional dependence among countries, reflecting common shocks and interconnected dynamics in EU energy markets. Fixed effects models are used as the baseline specification, while PMG-ARDL and other dynamic estimators are employed for robustness analysis. The results are consistent across different econometric specifications. The conclusions highlight the dominant role of Household Gas Prices as the main determinant of electricity prices, while energy productivity shows a positive association with electricity price levels. Climate variables exhibit weak and unstable effects, and environmental taxes do not show statistically significant impacts within the sample period. Overall, the findings underline the importance of energy market dynamics, structural factors, and the ongoing energy transition in shaping electricity price developments in the European Union.