Addressing the Threat of Fraud and Corruption in Public Procurement: Review of State of the Art Approaches

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): English

The present compendium of selected best practices addresses the threat of fraud and corruption from multiple perspectives, with the underlying purpose of providing practitioners from Romania and Greece with a set of state of the art approaches for addressing the threat of fraud and corruption in the complex multi-layered national public procurement systems. This publication is based on ideas presented at the international seminar EU's Financial Interests under Threat: New Approaches in Assessing the Risks from Public Procurement and EU Funds Fraud, organised on 31 October – 1 November 2013 in Sofia, with the support of the European AntiFraud Office (OLAF).

The Kremlin Playbook: Understanding Russian Influence in Central and Eastern Europe

Author(s): Heather A. Conley,Ruslan Stefanov,Martin Vladimirov,James Mina / Language(s): English

There was a deeply held assumption that, when the countries of Central and Eastern Europe joined NATO and the European Union in 2004, these countries would continue their positive democratic and economic transformation. Yet more than a decade later, the region has experienced a steady decline in democratic standards and governance practices at the same time that Russia’s economic engagement with the region expanded significantly. Regional political movements and figures have increasingly sought to align themselves with the Kremlin and with illiberalism. Central European governments have adopted ambiguous—if not outright pro-Russian—policy stances that have raised questions about their transatlantic orientation and produced tensions within Western institutions. The Center for the Study of Democracy, in partnership with the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), recently concluded a 16-month study to understand the nature of Russian influence in five case countries: Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, and Serbia. This research determined the extent of the Russian economic footprint in the domestic economy, which has ranged between 11% and 22% on average from 2004 to 2014. The report also presented evidence of how Russia has leveraged its economic presence to cultivate an opaque web of economic and political patronage across the region that the Kremlin uses to influence and direct decisionmaking. This web resembles a network-flow model—or “unvirtuous circle”—which the Kremlin can use to influence (if not control) critical state institutions, bodies, and economies, as well as shape national policies and decisions that serve its interests while actively discrediting the Western liberal democratic system. To exploit the governance loopholes, Russia’s strategy has been to capture powerful local brokers through providing them with government sponsored business opportunities at premium returns infiltrating them in state-owned companies, national agencies including in the security sector. Another common way is to use former security officials with significant influence over parties, businesses and institutions to act as intermediaries boosting Moscow’s interests where necessary. The reverse has also been happening in the region when local powerful economic groups use their Russian links to secure capital and political backing to acquire assets and invest in large projects. Sometimes domestic interests have vied for and received the economic and political support from Russian companies or politicians to engage in rent seeking with the local government, exploiting lack of oversight and lack rule of law. In exchange for providing their brand name or capital, Russian companies have taken nominal share in lucrative domestic businesses, gained access to a strategic asset in telecommunications, finance and most often in energy.

Престъпления и злоупотреби с обществени поръчки. Наръчник за превенция, противодействие и анализ на рисковете

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

The publication discusses selected internationally recognized standards on approaches, methods and guidelines for countering criminality and corruption practices in the public procurement process. The practical Guide is tailored to aid the work of civil servants, magistrates and practitioners in the area. The publication is based on conclusions from series of seminars, workshops and conferences, involving Bulgarian and Romanian experts, which took place between December 2014 and July 2016 in Romania. The document is part of the initiative “Law, Economy, Competition, and Administration - Developing a Multidisciplinary Approach in the Fight against Public Procurement Criminality (LEAD)”

Антикорупционни политики срещу завладяването на държавата

Author(s): Author Not Specified / Language(s): Bulgarian

In the tenth Corruption Assessment Report, the Center for the Study of Democracy provides an overview of the state of corruption and anticorruption in Bulgaria in 2013 – 2014. The report is produced within the framework of the Southeast Europe Leadership for Development and Integrity initiative (SELDI), which provides a comparative perspective for nine countries in Southeast Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey). The report’s findings are based on the state-of-the-art Corruption Monitoring System, and are complemented with recommendations on anti-corruption policies. The report argues that Bulgaria needs bold institutional anti-corruption reforms and personal commitment at the highest level in the judiciary and the executive to tackle state capture and wide-spread administrative corruption.

Moć iz senke: Procena korupcije i skrivene ekonomije u Jugoistočnoj Evropi

Author(s): / Language(s): Serbian

The current report, prepared by the Southeast European Leadership for Development and Integrity (SELDI) — the largest indigenous good governance initiative in SEE — makes an important contribution to the regional approach to anticorruption. It provides a civil society view of the state of corruption and comes in the wake of the 2014 SELDI comprehensive assessment of the various aspects of the legal and institutional anticorruption environments of nine SEE countries. In 2016, SELDI followed up on these assessments with an update of corruption monitoring and a special focus on state capture in the energy sector and the corruption–hidden economy nexus. The report underscores the need for broader political action for reform, which seems blocked or narrowing across the region. Inside pressure for such action has been suffocated by economic necessity and/or ethnic divisions, and the ossification of political and economic establishments. Outside pressure, delivered mostly by the European Union has been seen as wanting in relation to the size of the problems in the past couple of years due to a succession of internal and external crises. The authors underline that in none of the countries in the region has there been a clear sustained policy breakthrough in anticorruption though efforts to deliver technical solutions and to improve the functioning of the law enforcement institutions, mostly with support from the EU, have continued and even intensified in some cases. This has led to further slow decline in administrative corruption levels but at the expense of waning public support for reforms and of declining trust in national and European institutions.

Космет – Гордијев чвор

Author(s): / Language(s): English,Serbian

Kišobran patrijarha Pavla. Kritika palanačkog uma

Author(s): Mirko Đorđević / Language(s): Serbian

Znamo da honorar od svojih knjiga ostavlja Crkvi, da je stari budilnik zaveštao unuku, ali ne znamo još kome je zaveštao svoj stari kišobran. Godinama smo ga viđali na ulicama sa tim starinskim kišobranom. Budilnik je njega budio za jutrenje, ali nije uspevao da probudi sabraću arhijereje. I sada na sahrani, ko sve nije bio pod kišobranom njegovim – i ko sve godinama pod njim stajao nije. Naravno, ne pod onim starim, već pod onim koji se podrazumeva za ono vlasti što je imao među sabraćom arhijerejima u Sinodu i Saboru. I tu je sva muka njegova, možda i udes njegove misije tokom dvadesetak godina na čelu SPC. Došla je sada da potraži utehu nad odrom i sama “kosovka đevojka” B. Plavšić, koja je sa ratovođama Karadžićem i Mladićem dobar deo Bosne zasejala grobovima. U mučnim godinama raspada države – sa zločinima koji su užasnuli svet – pokojni patrijarh se nije baš snalazio. Izgovarao je opomene, ne da nije, ali sabraća arhijereji, barem dobar deo među njima, nisu krili svoje ratne ciljeve. Ne, ne Isusu mira i pravde, već balkanskom bogu Marsu do crne zemlje su se klanjali. I druge su vodili, i sve nas, do ambisa iz kojeg još izašli nismo. I skoro nećemo.

Истражување за разбирањето и познавањето на граѓаните на човековите права и механизмите за заштита при нивно прекршување

Author(s): Viktorija Borovska,Kalina Lechevska,Ana Blazheva / Language(s): Albanian,English,Macedonian

Deliberation: The Path of Dismantling the #StateCapture in Macedonia. Policy Reflections on Macedonia 2016-2018

Author(s): Katerina Kolozova,Gordan Georgiev / Language(s): English

Срби и рат у Југославији 1941. године

Author(s): / Language(s): English,Croatian,Russian,German,Serbian

Почетак Другог светског рата у Југославији обележили су брзи војни слом, комадање југословенске територије и грађански рат који је отпочео на простору Србије. Све то било је последица како непријатељске агресије тако и бројних политичких, социјалних и економских противречности нагомиланих у међуратном раздобљу југословенске државе. Југославија је између два светска рата била земља великих социјалних разлике, привредне неинтегрисаности и културолошких различитости, што је, нарочито после Велике економске кризе, избацило на површину радикалне покрете и на левици и на десници који су у својим програмима нудили привлачна социјална мерила. Југословенска државна идеја, идеја националног јединства, у коју се посумњало убрзо по формирању заједничке државе, дефинитивно је званично напуштена стварањем Бановине Хрватске. Међутим, на плану међунационалних односа, стварање Бановине Хрватске не само да није смирило хрватско-српске супротности, нити задовољило национално-политичке тежње Хрвата и учврстило нестабилне државне темеље него је допринело јачању раздора, изазвало незадовољство Срба и подстакло потребу за преиспитивањем југословенске државне идеје. Стога је у овом периоду, из угла национално-политичких потреба српске нације, једно од најтежих питања националне политике чинила дилема за или против Југославије. [...]

Polityka społeczno-gospodarcza państwa wobec pracy kobiet

Author(s): Baha Kalinowska-Sufinowicz / Language(s): Polish

Celem monografii jest prezentacja, analiza i ocena faktycznego stanu oraz możliwości pożądanych zmian w rozwoju polityki społeczno-gospodarczej państwa wobec pracy kobiet w Polsce w latach 1990-2012. W pierwszej kolejności dokonano identyfikacji miar statusu społeczno-ekonomicznego kobiet oraz konkretyzacji pojęcia, celów oraz rodzajów polityki społeczno-gospodarczej państwa na rzecz równości płci. W dalszej części publikacji zbadano uwarunkowania pracy kobiet w Polsce w latach 1990-2012 w aspekcie ich sytuacji rodzinnej, edukacyjnej, zawodowej, ekonomicznej i politycznej oraz przestawiono stan prawny, koncepcyjny i realizacyjny polityki społeczno-gospodarczej państwa w obszarach najsilniej determinujących pracę kobiet. Następnie wyznaczono ogólne i szczegółowe wskaźniki efektywności polityki równości płci w obszarach mających decydujące znaczenie dla pozycji społeczno-zawodowej i ekonomicznej kobiet, a także wskazano na potencjalne kierunki zmian polityki społeczno-gospodarczej państwa w kontekście jej dążenia do osiągania równości płci. Przeprowadzone badania i analizy zawarte w rozprawie pozwoliły na pozytywną weryfikację hipotezy o zasadności i konieczności podejmowania zintegrowanych i kompleksowych działań w ramach polityki społeczno-gospodarczej państwa wobec pracy kobiet, zwłaszcza na rzecz wyrównywania szans płci. Polityka taka powinna obejmować działania z zakresu polityki: rodzinnej (zwłaszcza sprzyjające godzeniu życia zawodowego z rodzinnym), edukacyjnej (w szczególności poprzez zwracanie znacznie większej uwagi na problematykę równości płci), zatrudnienia i rynku pracy (poprzez znacznie większą intensyfikację działań, w tym w zakresie prawodawstwa na rzecz osiągania równości szans kobiet i mężczyzn w praktyce) oraz polityki sensu stricto (na rzecz wyrównania partycypacji kobiet i mężczyzn w procesach sprawowania władzy publicznej, w tym gospodarczej).

Didaktički zid – Katalog

Author(s): Irfan Hošić,Mladen Miljanović / Language(s): Bosnian,English

The Didactic Wall by the artist Mladen Miljanović is a subversive educational installation that focuses on the issue of migrants, refugees, displaced persons and apatrids, and the difficulties they face when moving towards their desired geographic objective. This is an engaged set of illustrations that address directly those who, in an “illegal” way, are trying to cross national borders to get to their “land of dreams”. The Didactic Wall is a kind of an instruction on how to overcome natural and artificial barriers an “illegal” person on the move may possibly come across. [...]

Between Salvation and Terror: Radicalization and the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon in the Western Balkans

Author(s): / Language(s): English

The mobilisation of jihadist foreign fighters that has taken place as a result of the conflict in Syria and Iraq has been unprecedented. According to the United Nations, up to 40,000 foreigners from nearly 100 countries have participated in the war. Not all of them will remain part of the movement. Many, have already become disillusioned, turned against their comrades, and “retired“ from fighting. Others, however, will turn up in other conflicts, become involved in terrorist networks, or use their credibility as “veterans“ to recruit new followers. There can be no doubt that the consequences of this mobilisation will be profound and long-lasting. In one of my recent books, I predicted that it will result in a “fifth wave“ of terrorism. Much of the public interest in the foreign fighter phenomenon has focused on Western Europe and the Middle East. The situation in the Balkans, by contrast, has received comparatively little attention. This book is the first comprehensive account of who the foreign fighters from the Balkans are, where they come from, and how they have been radicalised. All the chapters are based on in-depth research and written by leading experts from the region. Their analysis and conclusions are based on empirical facts and a profound understanding of the social and political dynamics in their respective countries. It is this depth of local knowledge that makes the various chapters so interesting and informative.

Russian Economic Footprint in the Western Balkans. Corruption and State Capture Risks

Author(s): Martin Vladimirov,Milica Kovačević,Marija Mirjačić,Igor Novaković,Nemanja Todorović Štiplija,Emina Nuredinoska,Slagjana Dimiškova / Language(s): English

The Western Balkans have become one of the regions, in which Russia has increasingly sought to (re)assert its presence in the past decade. In attempt to improve the understanding of the impact of the interplay between existing governance gaps and the inflow of authoritarian capital in the region, the Center for the Study of Democracy developed an assessment of the Russian economic footprint in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although in absolute numbers Russian investment in the region has increased by more than EUR 3 billion, Russia’s economic footprint as share of the total economy in the Western Balkans has shrunk or stagnated in the wake international sanctions over the annexation of Crimea. Because Russian businesses are concentrated in a small number of strategic sectors however – such as banking, energy, metallurgy and real estate – the four small, energy-dependent countries assessed in this report remain vulnerable to Russian pressure. An overreliance on Russian imports, coupled with an expansion of Russian capital, has made the governments of the Western Balkans particularly susceptible to pressures on strategic decisions related not only to energy market diversification and liberalization, but also to Russian sanctions, and NATO and EU expansion.

Russian Influence in the Media Sectors of the Black Sea Countries: Tools, Narratives and Policy Options for Building Resilience

Author(s): Rumena Filipova,Todor Galev / Language(s): English

The Black Sea region has been subject to increasing pressure and uncertainty, following Russia’s occupation of parts of Georgia in 2008, the annexation of Crimea and destabilization of eastern Ukraine in 2014, and the continuing military stand-off to NATO in the Black Sea and beyond after the intervention in Syria in 2015. These developments have demonstrated Moscow’s determination to revise the post-Cold War order by applying pressure through hard- and softpower instruments on both members and associate partners of the EU and NATO in order to undermine Euro-Atlantic cohesion and unity. A particularly prominently deployed weapon of choice of the Kremlin has been media propaganda and disinformation. The report examines Russia’s presence and tactics in the media sectors of five Black Sea countries, by assessing the relationship between the Kremlin’s corporate and financial footprint in the media outlets of these states and the dissemination of pro-Russian and anti-Western propaganda content. It confirms that the patterns of ownership, economic dependency and (in)formal political links of media outlets in the countries under investigation to pro-Russian groups and interests are correlated with and reflected into corresponding trends of employing Russia-originating propaganda narratives.

Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност в България 2020

Author(s): Atanas Rusev,Tihomir Bezlov,Mois Faion,Mariyan Sabev,Stefan Ralchev / Language(s): Bulgarian

The 2020 Bulgarian Organised Crime Threat Assessment is the third in a series of studies which, on an annual basis, canvasses the state, volume and structure of the major criminal markets. The report also captures the trends related to organised crime over the period 2017–2019. The present assessment relies on data for 2019 covering fourteen criminal markets which can be grouped under three basic headings: Traditional organised criminal markets – human trafficking and the market for sexual services, human smuggling, automobile theft, extortion racketeering and usury. Excise duty and VAT crimes – illegal trade in tobacco products and in fuels, as well as VAT fraud. Emerging criminal markets – EU funds fraud, illegal trade in pharmaceuticals, cybercrime, electronic payment systems fraud, telephone fraud and illegal logging. The study reviews the key trends in recent years as well as the structure of each criminal market, and describes the major schemes used by organised criminal groups. Researchers have attempted to gauge the damages that organised criminal groups inflict to individual victims and to society as a whole, as well as to calculate the volume of criminal revenues. Based on data and expert opinion analysis, the report outlines the possible developments of the criminal market and the relevant responses to them, and lists a number of recommendations designed to minimise the damages from organised criminal activity.

The Migration Conference 2020 Proceedings: Migration and Integration

Author(s): / Language(s): Turkish,English

This is the first volume of the Proceedings of The Migration Conference 2020. The Migration Conference 2020 was held online due to COVID-19 Pandemic and yet, in over 80 parallel sessions and plenaries key migration debates saw nearly 500 experts from around the world engaging. This collection contains contributions mainly dealing with migration and integration debates. These are only a subset of all presentations from authors who chose to submit full short papers for publication after the conference. Most of the contributions are work in progress and unedited versions. The next migration conference is going to be hosted by Ming-Ai Institute in London, UK. Looking forward to continuing the debates on human mobility after the Pandemic.

Европейският енергиен съюз: състояние и перспективи

Author(s): Svetla Boneva,Ivan Tsvetanov,Atanas Atanassov,Ivaylo Toskov / Language(s): Bulgarian

The main objective of this project is to conduct an in-dept analysis on the main dimensions of the European Energy Union as well as to formulate recommendations on the benefits that Bulgaria could derive from its membership in this union and how in particular our country could materialize these benefits. To achieve these goals, we have completed the following research tasks: 1) An overview of the contemporary foreign and Bulgarian specialized economic literature in the relevant field has been conducted; analysis and summarization of the theoretical research in the European Energy Union field; 2) Analysis of the EU energy policy development which led to the establishment of the European Energy Union; 3) Overview of the strategic EU documents pertaining to the European Energy Union; 4) Analysis of the applicable legislative acts regarding the European Energy Union in Bulgaria and the coherence of this legal framework with the European law. Analysis on the national and the European legal framework of the European Energy Union.

Pokatoličavanje Srba u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj

Author(s): / Language(s): Croatian,Serbian

Tema pokatoličavanja srpskog pravoslavnog stanovništva u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj predmet je višedecenijskog interesovanja istraživača istorije Jugoslavije tokom Drugog svjetskog rata. Iako su prethodni istraživači svojim istraživanjima obuhvatili mnoge aspekte ove teme, zbornik naučnih radova koji je pred čitaocima predstavlja najobuhvatniji pregled teme na osnovu izvora koje prethodna istoriografija nije konsultovala ili ih nije dovoljno analizirala. Zbornik radova Pokatoličavanje Srba u Nezavisnoj Državi Hrvatskoj sastoji se iz pet naučnih radova. Naučni radovi nastali su kao rezultat istraživanja u osam arhivskih ustanova u Hrvatskoj i Srbiji i pregleda dvadesetak arhivskih fondova. [...]

Съединението прави силата

Author(s): / Language(s): English,Bulgarian

This book presents reports from ‘United We Stand Strong’, the Fifth International Conference of the European Studies Department, Faculty of Philosophy at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. The conference was held between 31 May and 1 June 2018 with the support by Hanns Seidel Foundation. The collective book is а result of a project by the European Studies Department at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence in teaching and research on the Europeanisation of the countries of Southeast Europe (2016-2019), co-financed by the Erasmus+ program.