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Protected areas represent one of mankind’s major problems worldwide, as they comprise the most representative selection of biodiversity, wild flora and fauna. If at global level the percentage of 8.83% of land surface covered with protected areas is acceptable, the problem that has to be resolved in time is that of the inequalities among categories of protected areas and that of contrasts at continental and national level regarding the much bigger number of protected areas without administrator or curator compared to those that are efficiently controlled and administered. Romania’s territorial integration in the geographical space of the EU was followed by numerous measures through which legislation was adapted to meet European standards; therefore, along with social and economic demands, special and specific standards regarding protection of nature were imposed to our country. European directives and norms oblige Romania to increase its territory covered with efficiently administered protected areas up to the optimal value of 15% of its national territory, a percentage stipulated by the Natura 2000 network. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of financial resources destined for the management of protected areas, the majority of them remain “on paper” units. A particular case is the cave from Izvorul Tăuşoarelor in Rodna Mountains. This true morpho-geographical jewel, despite the fact that it benefited from the care of a professional speleologist for more than ten years, was placed under the custody of the Bistriţa-Năsăud County Museum Complex only in February 2010, after several attempts to do so, because of some legal and bureaucratic limitations.

Keywords: protected areas, sustainable development, biodiversity, European integration of regional protected areas, paper park syndrome, morpho-geographical “jewel”, Izvorul Tăuşoarelor Cave.