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Policy Tracker: EU and Russia’s Energy Policy at the Backdrop of the South Stream Pipeline

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

The present paper aims at tracking the development of the South Stream gas pipeline project from the perspectives of the EU and Russia, and in the context of the common EU external energy policy. The EU-Russia energy dialogue has become increasingly complicated since the two natural gas crises in 2006 and 2009, when the gas supply was cut for about two weeks due to a gas pricing dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Until then the energy relations between Europe and Russia have run smoothly as Gazprom had been perceived as a reliable supplier operating under long-term, oil-indexed contracts providing predictability of supplied volumes and prices. For producers such as Russia operating in a glut market, the most important goal was to preserve their market share in Europe. An eventual supply disruption would discredit suppliers and will push consumers look for more viable alternatives.

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Media note: Energy in(security): the parliament’s decision on the South Stream pipeline increases the risks for Bulgaria’s energy security

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

The decision of the Bulgarian Parliament from 4 April 2014 to adopt at first reading the amendments in the Energy Law, which grants South Stream special status highlights the lack of logic in the national energy policy and compounds the impression that public interest is not the driving force behind the proposed changes.

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Media Note: Energy Saving Technologies in the Bulgarian Residential Sector

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

The growing consumer prices of electricity have remained at the center of public debates over the past months, especially following their increase last year by 13%. Even though the regulated market supresses their growth, prices have steadily increased since 2005, both in Bulgaria and in the EU. In Bulgaria, the liberalization will most likely cause an additional short-term increase in consumer prices, before open competition exerts enough pressure on the market to perform better and eventually bring prices down. In the context of these developments, measures aimed at improving the energy efficiency of buildings are becoming increasingly popular.

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Media Note: Why Electricity Bills in Bulgaria Spoiled the Party

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

The so-called “green” premium - a market entry subsidy for renewable energy sources - was used as a convenient explanation for recent increases to the electricity bills in 2012. However, as time went by, consumers realized that a substantial part of their bills has been determined by another expense - the ”bad governance premium”, which, together with the forthcoming parliamentary elections and the increase of energy consumption during the winter, led to the ascent of social discontent and a search for new culprits for the surge in prices.

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Countering Corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2001 - 2011

Author(s): Denitza Mantcheva,Stefan Karaboev,Jeffery Warner / Language(s): English

The report "Countering Corruption in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2001 - 2011" provides an overview of the state and dynamics of corruption and anti-corruption developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the period 2001 – 2011. The report builds on the local insight of the Center for Investigative Reporting in Sarajevo, and the experience of the Center for the Study of Democracy in monitoring corruption and anti-corruption trends in Europe. The findings are based on the Corruption Monitoring System, a state of the art tool for monitoring the dynamics of corruption at a national level developed by CSD. The report notes that concerns over persistent corruption among key institutions like the police, customs, and different ministries remain prevalent among citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Notwithstanding some signs of progress in the fight against corruption, two major deficits in countering corruption are evident in the country: insufficient political will and little evidence of corruption-related justice. Both of these contribute to the public’s growing distrust in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions. Corruption pressure from the public administration has increased in the past decade and the society has grown more disillusioned with the continuing inability of public institutions to tackle corruption effectively.

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Зелено чудовище бърка в джоба на потребителите: дали? Медийна записка

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

The energy sector in Bulgaria is faced with a number of challenges, the biggest of which is poor governance. Abuses triggered by the poor management of state-owned enterprises have an impact on electricity prices for consumers. As long as the governance of state-owned enterprises remains non-transparent and pricing mechanisms remain opaque, consumer confidence in the system cannot be restored.

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Healthcare Reforms in Bulgaria: Towards Diagnosis and Prescription

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

The paper shows the evolution of this reform path to low compliance by both customers (contributors) and service-providers (contractors with the National Health Insurance Fund), which leads to excessive regulations and control, and crowding out of the private sector. The outcome is a system that is increasingly driven by administrative controls at the expense of market incentives. Based on this analysis it identifies the relevant policy implications and opportunities for moving the stalled health reforms out of the institutional impasse.

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Price Reform and Pricing in the Transition to Market Economy, August 1994

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

As a result of factors, characteristic of centralized planned economy and particularly pronounced in Bulgaria due to the lack of a significant private sector as had been preserved in Poland, Hungary, GDR, and Czechoslovakia, the economic reform in Bulgaria began with a liberalization of prices and dismantling of the monopolistic structures in industry and the services. The shock liberalization of prices was the only way to a speedy overcoming of the huge disproportion between the supply and demand. It is our view that if the liberalization of prices had begun already in the first year of the reform - 1990, their rise might have been more moderate and would not have had such a strong negative impact on the standard of living of the population. Unfortunately, the liberalization of 40 per cent of the prices of goods and services included in the government's program was not introduced and that for purely political reasons, as the government of the ruling Communist Party was driven by populist considerations. In February 1991 the first government with the participation of ministers from outside the Communist Party undertook a liberalization of about 80 per cent of the prices of goods and services. Within a month following the liberalization of prices, inflation, measured through the consumer price index, reached 222.9 per cent. Only a group of 14 essential goods and services, among which fuels and electric power, as well as certain staple foods, remained under state control.

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Izbor - Kosmet, 2007 / 11 / 23

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

JEDNOSTRANA NEZAVISNOST, PROPALI BLEF U POKERU ZA KOSOVO I - REŠENJE (Sot - Tirana) DA LI ĆE BITI RATA ZA KOSOVO IZMEĐU SRBIJE I ALBANIJE? (Sot - Tirana) “OVK” ALBANSKIH PROSTORA (Express - Prština) KAKVA PONUDA MOŽE DA SE POJAVI TOKOM DVA ZAVRŠNA SUSRETA ZA STATUS KOSOVA? (Zëri - Priština) EKOPOLITIKA - ZAŠTO JEDNOGLASNO PROGLAŠENJE NEZAVISNOSTI KOSOVA OMOGUĆUJE POČETAK IZLASKA IZ EKONOMSKE KRIZE? (Kosova sot - Priština) ZAKON SRPSKO-RUSKE SILE NASUPROT PITANJU SLOBODE ALBANACA (Ndryshe - Tirana) ZVANICCNO SAOPŠTENJE BR.17 POLITIČKOG PORTPAROLA FBKŠ-a JUNAČKI ALBANSKI NAROD SA KOSOVA JE KAZNIO PROPALU POLITIKU UNMIK-a I PRIŠTINSKE POLITIČKE MAFIJE...! (Dervina. com) KURTI: CIK I OEBS NE GOVORE ISTINU, IZLAZNOST JE 37% (Kosova.com) RUSKI VETO I U OEBS-u ZA KOSOVO? (Gazeta shqiptare - Tirana) EVROPSKI ŠTAB VOJSKE I KOSOVO (Lajm - Priština) NEPREKIDNA RUSKA BLOKADA (Zëri - Priština) BLOKADE STATUSA KOSOVA (Telegrafi - Priština) NEUTRALNI STATUS (Kosova sot - Priština) POBEDA NA IZBORIMA OD 17. NOVEMBRA KAO “PIROVA POBEDA” (Radio “Kosova e lirë” - Priština) HONG KONG JE SAHRANJEN U RAMBUJEU (Koha jonë - Tirana) PRECIZNOST POVODOM 10. OKTOBRA (Zëri - Priština) VEOMA ZNAČAJAN SUSRET EU - OUN U NJUJORKU (Zëri - Priština) SVE ILI NIŠTA (Zëri - Priština) PREMIJER ALBANACA (Express - Priština)

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DG Enlargement Guidelines for the Support to Civil Society in the Enlargement Region

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

The enlargement countries face a range of challenges, especially in fields such as the rule of law, corruption, organised crime, the economy and social cohesion. Civil Society actors and organisations can make a substantial contribution to addressing many of these through their lobbying, advocacy and oversight activities at national, regional and local level. When it comes to democratic governance and the rule of law and fundamental rights, including freedom of expression & association and minority rights, they can create demand for enhanced transparency, accountability and effectiveness from public institutions and facilitate a greater focus on the needs of citizens in policy-making. The DG Enlargement Guidelines on the EU enlargement support to civil society are elaborated following online and national consultations. The consultations process will continue until the end of August 2013.

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Expert evaluation network delivering policy analysis on the performance of Cohesion policy 2007-2013. Year 3 – 2013. Task 2: Country Report on Achievements of Cohesion policy. Bulgaria.

Author(s): Plamen Shalafov,Ruslan Stefanov / Language(s): English

In March 2014, DG Regional Policy at the European Commission published a report on Bulgaria's progress on the job creation as an indicator of outcomes in ERDF programmes and an evaluation report on the achievements of the Cohesion policy in Bulgaria. The two reports were prepared by CSD experts in the framework of the Expert Evaluation Network delivering policy analysis on the performance of the Cohesion Policy 2007 - 2013. The first report provides an overview of the methodology, data reporting and wider use of the indicator ‘job creation’ for monitoring the impact of the Structural Funds. The second report reviews all supported areas by the Cohesion Policy in Bulgaria and in particular the assistance provided by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The report is based on statistical and financial data and interviews with representatives of the Managing Authorities of Operational Programmes (OPs). The text describes the progress under the OPs and the impact of the financed projects. The report presents the main conclusions drawn from the OPs evaluations and foregrounds the remaining challenges to Bulgaria.

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Слушателска аудитория на радио веригата Витоша-Атлантик, ноември 1995

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

In the period 1993-1995 the redistribution of radio-audiences started - the sharp competition, characteristic for the initial period, decreased and gradually the relative shares of the individual radio stations equaled. There is no longer the prevalence of preferences for a particular station that is characteristic of the start-up period. The Sofia audience of the "Vitosha-Atlantic" radio chain has emerged as one of the largest in size.

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ИЗСЛЕДВАНЕ НА ОБЩЕСТВЕНОТО МНЕНИЕ ЗА ОТНЕМАНЕ В ПОЛЗА НА ДЪРЖАВАТА НА ИМУЩЕСТВО, ПРИДОБИТО ОТ ПРЕСТЪПНА ДЕЙНОСТ

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

Between 15 and 28 September 2002, Vitosha Research conducted a national representative survey among 1000 respondents over 15 years. The study aimed to establish public opinion on the law for seizure for the benefit of the state of property acquired from criminal activity.

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CSD Policy Brief No. 22: Енергийният сектор на България

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

The brief "The Energy Sector of Bulgaria" is elaborated jointly by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Atlantic Council of US. It presents the main challenges that the energy sector in Bulgaria faces. By virtue of its geography, Bulgaria finds itself in a difficult nexus, drawn into Eurasia’s contentious energy geopolitics and as a European Union member, involved in the Union’s fragmented energy policy and complex regulatory, energy efficiency and climate change objectives. That position is challenging, but it also presents decision-makers in Sofia with opportunities.

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Електронни инструменти за ефективно управление на наказателни дела в отделни страни - членки на ЕС

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

In recent years, public authorities have begun to adopt several statutory reforms to incorporate ICT into everyday tasks of judicial systems’ actors. In the European sphere, the concept of e-justice has been mainly developed in justice administration. This publication provides comparative analysis of current practices of justice record keeping and the electronic tools for measuring the judicial system performance in Finland, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Spain, Germany, and England and Wales as well as an overview of the introduction of ICT in the judiciaries of Bulgaria and Poland.

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Локални инициативи в периода 1999 - 2000

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

The report Local Initiatives in the Period 1999-2000, discussed at the Policy Forum of Coalition 2000 in December 1999, is dedicated to the public-private partnership on local level. The common interests of civil society and local government allow expanding the scope of the cooperation initiated in the pilot stage of the local projects. The main idea of the report is that one precondition for successful advancement in this direction is fostering a climate of dialogue and trust between the two sectors.

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Cross-border concerted and joint inspections in the fight against undeclared work

Author(s): Ruslan Stefanov,Daniela Mineva,Petar Terziev / Language(s): English

As part of the support team of the European Platform tackling undeclared work, CSD is developing a series of papers, analyses and toolkits, aimed at sharing good practices and experiences among the Member States. Since 2016, the European Platform tackling undeclared work provides an EU-level forum that allows different actors, including social partners and enforcement authorities, such as labour inspectorates, tax and social security authorities, to engage in closer cross-border cooperation and joint activities. The Platform’s 2-year work programme for 2019-2020 includes activities enabling Platform members to deal with undeclared work through a holistic approach. The new work programme is building on work to tackle bogus self-employment and fraudulent letterbox companies. Four sectors that are heavily affected by undeclared work have been identified for specific action: agriculture; aviation; tourism; and the hotel, restaurant and catering sector.

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Information Tools and Approaches to Reach Out to Workers and Companies in the Fight against Undeclared Work

Author(s): Ruslan Stefanov,Daniela Mineva / Language(s): English

As part of the support team of the European Platform tackling undeclared work, CSD is developing a series of papers, analyses and toolkits, aimed at sharing good practices and experiences among the Member States. Since 2016, the European Platform tackling undeclared work provides an EU-level forum that allows different actors, including social partners and enforcement authorities, such as labour inspectorates, tax and social security authorities, to engage in closer cross-border cooperation and joint activities. The Platform’s 2-year work programme for 2019-2020 includes activities enabling Platform members to deal with undeclared work through a holistic approach. The new work programme is building on work to tackle bogus self-employment and fraudulent letterbox companies. Four sectors that are heavily affected by undeclared work have been identified for specific action: agriculture; aviation; tourism; and the hotel, restaurant and catering sector.

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CSD Policy Brief No. 94: TurkStream and the Russian Economic Influence in Europe

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

Russia has sought to undermine common EU energy rules and monopolize markets by promoting two politically driven gas projects: Nord Stream II and TurkStream. The EU push for gas diversification has fallen prey to the private interests of European energy companies, financial institutions, construction firms and industrial behemoths that have benefited from Gazprom-led projects. In this policy brief, the Center for the Study of Democracy sheds light on how the TurkStream gas pipeline perpetuates the CEE dependence on Russian gas amid unnecessary infrastructure spending diverting scarce resources away from productive investments. The project blocks the diversification of gas markets, including by preventing cheaper LNG supply to compete with Russian gas in Europe. The brief calls for a more active role for the EU and the U.S. in developing a robust monitoring and enforcement mechanism to discontinue energy projects that might undermine the security of supply, energy source diversification and the integration of the EU energy markets in its different regions.

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Kraj kraja istorije

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

Ratovi su najužasniji događaji. Ne bi trebalo nikada da se dešavaju. Sve ljudske napore bi trebalo usmeriti u pravcu onemogućavanja ratova. Da ne budu samo nelegalni, nego nemogući, tako da niko ne bude u stanju, niti da ima motiv da ih pokreće.

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