Environmental Management during Agrarian Transformation and European Integration. The Case of Bulgaria
Environmental Management during Agrarian Transformation and European Integration. The Case of Bulgaria

Author(s): Hrabrin Bachev
Subject(s): Economy
Published by: ASERS Publishing
Keywords: eco - governance; market; private; public modes; Bulgarian agriculture
Summary/Abstract: This chapter suggests a holistic framework for analyzing the forms and efficiency of eco-management in agriculture; assesses evolution of market, private, public and hybrid modes during transition and EU integration of Bulgarian agriculture; specifies major challenges and suggests recommendations for improvement of public policies for effective environmental protection. First, it incorporates interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics and suggests a comprehensive framework of analyzing the eco-management in agriculture including: definition of eco-management as a specific system of social order responsible for particular behaviour(s) of agents; specification of “management needs” and spectrum of feasible management modes (institutional environment; private, collective, market, and public modes); assessment of efficiency of different modes of management in terms of their potential to: protect diverse eco-rights and investments, assure socially desirable level of environmental protection and improvement, minimize overall (implementing, third - party, transaction etc.) costs, coordinate and stimulate eco-activities, meet preferences and reconcile conflicts of individuals; specification of critical socio - economic, natural, technological, behavioural etc. factors of management choice. Second, it presents the evolutions of diverse forms of eco-management during post - communist transition and EU integration of Bulgarian agriculture, and analyzes their impact(s) on agents‟ behaviour and efficiency. Third, it assesses the impact(s) of dominating system of management and the new public (EU, national) measures on the state of environment and identifies major eco -challenges, conflicts and risks. Finally, it suggests recommendations for institutional modernization and for improvement of public policies for effective environmental protection.

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