Членството на България в Европейския съюз: четири години по-късно
This book collects scientific papers and reports presented on the conference ‘The Membership of Bulgaria in the EU: Four Years Later’ organized by the International Economic Relations and Business Department at University of National and World Economy (UNWE), Sofia, Bulgaria. The conference, held on 3 October 2010, traditionally provided a stage for prominent academics, dedicated PhD students and professionals to discuss contemporary topics related to multiple aspects of the European integration, its effects on the Bulgarian economy, socio-economic environment, international business and relations, finance and politics.The conference was opened with a keynote speech by Meglena Kuneva who used to serve in the European Commission and is a prominent figure in the Bulgarian political life associated with the European integration process and accession to the European Union. She highlighted that the Bulgarian membership in the European Union is a rare example of widely shared national consensus in the past 22 years. Meglena Kuneva presented arguments in favour of this membership while noting challenges that remain unsolved years after our accession – we shall understand better the signs given by Brussels as well as put an emphasis on the human factors. Kuneva shared the view that commitment and high ethical and professional standards are required when appointments are made for the EU funds governance on a national level. We shall be more active towards EU in our contribution, she concluded. The participants in the conference presented research about the multiple effects on the Bulgarian economy as a result of the EU membership and access to the Single market. Authors discussed the international competitiveness of the Bulgarian export industry, they dedicated analysis on the Bulgarian trade with the other EU member states as well as industrial concentrations among the countries sharing single market. The liberalization of the telecommunications market in Bulgaria, reforms in the regulations of the pension funds and public procurement is among the topics presented. Another group of academics discussed current trends in the global economy, regional and global challenges to the EU. Those processes would have implications on the entire EU bloc. This could be related to the role of the Euro as an international currency as well as the development of the economic and monetary union (EMU) within EU. Contributors review topics related to the real and nominal convergence of Bulgaria and other countries in the EMU and the Bulgarian contribution and participation in key EU policies. Some authors present research on the challenges and achievements regarding the absorption of the EU funds in Bulgaria and implementation of the operating programs. Group of papers is dedicated to the international business environment, transnational organizations, international standardization through ISO, quality assurance and management, employees’ performance, and organizational culture. ‘The Membership of Bulgaria in the EU: Four Years Later’ is an annually organized academic event with the vision to foster open dialogue, offer contemporary research and exchange of ideas between fellow academics, policy makers, businesses, stakeholders and the public.
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