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Съдебни протоколи от XVI век за процедурата по определяне на границите на селското землище и екологичната среда в селища от старозагорската каза

Author(s): Milena Petkova-Encheva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

Sixteenth century is the time of dramatic expansion and demographic changes for the Ottoman Empire. A certain impact on people's everyday life has the environment and more specifically environment consequences in the means of increasing population, changing patterns of production, transitions from nomadic to settled agriculture communities. The village territory and the peasants' agrarian activities are of great importance for the economic history researchers, ethnologists and scholars interested in the Ottoman Empire and more specifically in the reclamation of the agrarian space. The present paper examines the procedure on fixing the boundaries of the village territory as it was recorded in the judicial records - huccets, included in the detailed (mufassal) defter of 1570 containing information on the vakifs of Pasa sanack. The judicial records refer to the village territories of four settlements - Kul Ibrahim, Sruca Reis, Boazkesen and Hizir bey on the territory of the kaza of Stara Zagora during the 16th century. The examined copies of huccets give detailed information about the two main elements of the village territory - arable lands and pastures, but also provide data on the environment of parts of the territory of the kaza of Stara Zagora.

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Аскери чифликът - вакъфът - държавата. Чифликът на мютевелията на вакъфа на Софу Мехмед Паша от началото на XVIII век: генезис, развитие, злоупотреби, печалба

Author(s): Paulina Andonova / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The debate of the identification and definition of the askeri cifliks lies at the center of the Ottoman economic history. Their existence arises important questions related to the balance in the Ottoman classical economic and social system based on the state land property, the legitimacy of the political power of the Ottoman ruling class and the revenue collection of the agrarian surplus. A typical case of land usurpation and private control over the appropriation of the agrarian surplus can be investigated in the detail thanks to a wealth of historical data consisting of tax registers (tapu-tahrir defters), inventories of vakf's revenues and complaints against the ciflik-owner dated from 16th to the beginning of 18th century. The foundation and practice of administrator (mutevelli) of the Sofu Mehmed Pasha's and Mustafa Aga's vakfs (charitable donations), in the beginning of the 18th century demonstrates the genesis of such farms by occupation of abandoned lands. In addition, the investigation of the genesis and character of Veli Efendi's ciflik shows different ways of violation of the land law by the ciflik-owner as a result of his attempts at accumulating land, power and riches. The information included in the documents concerning the case of the ciflik presents the importance of political and economic factors such as the impact of the military campaigns on the population and the possibility of usurpation of abandoned lands as a result of the flight of the villagers for creating big askeri cifliks. The administration and control over the vakf's revenues and properties as part of the ciflik-holder's official duties are also of great significance for making high profits through concealing the ciflik's population and workers, misappropriation of arable lands and tax evasion. In other words the investigation of the case of the Veli Efendi's ciflik sheds light on the basic debatable questions in the Ottoman historiography related to the genesis and development of the askeri cifliks in the Ottoman Empire and some violations of the law and taxation by their holder, especially during 17th-18th centuries.

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Hidden Economy in Southeast Europe: Building Regional Momentum to Mitigate its Negative Effects

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

According to the authors of the policy brief, not declaring in full or partially economic activities in SEE remains widespread in virtually all areas of government – permissions and licenses, labour contracts, social security, taxes and custom duties. It signals a persistent gap between formal and informal institutions and lack of coherent enforcement of rules. Corruption pressure is higher towards those engaged in the hidden economy. At the same time their susceptibility to corruption is also higher, confirming the institutional incongruence. The immense diversity of the scale (from 19 % in Croatia to 81 % in Kosovo), prevailing patterns (no written contracts in Turkey, non-payment of health care contributions in Kosovo, envelope wages in FYR of Macedonia and Bulgaria, non-formalised business in Albania), formal vs informal wage average (higher formal wages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Turkey and lower in Kosovo and Bulgaria) requires country specific tailor-made policies and sequencing of reforms.

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СКРИЕНАТА ЕКОНОМИЈА ВО ЈУГОИСТОЧНА ЕВРОПА: КРЕИРАЊЕ НА РЕГИОНАЛЕН ИМПУЛС ЗА УБЛАЖУВАЊЕ НА НЕЈЗИНИТЕ НЕГАТИВНИ ЕФЕКТИ

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

According to the authors of the policy brief, not declaring in full or partially economic activities in SEE remains widespread in virtually all areas of government – permissions and licenses, labour contracts, social security, taxes and custom duties. It signals a persistent gap between formal and informal institutions and lack of coherent enforcement of rules. Corruption pressure is higher towards those engaged in the hidden economy. At the same time their susceptibility to corruption is also higher, confirming the institutional incongruence. The immense diversity of the scale (from 19 % in Croatia to 81 % in Kosovo), prevailing patterns (no written contracts in Turkey, non-payment of health care contributions in Kosovo, envelope wages in FYR of Macedonia and Bulgaria, non-formalised business in Albania), formal vs informal wage average (higher formal wages in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Turkey and lower in Kosovo and Bulgaria) requires country specific tailor-made policies and sequencing of reforms.

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Добри практики от други държави за участие на НПО в подпомагането на избрани уязвими групи при взаимоотношенията им с институциите

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

In order to contribute to the improvement of the situation of Bulgarian NGOs, providing support to selected vulnerable groups – prisoners, victims of trafficking and domestic violence, persons seeking international protection and other vulnerable foreigners – this report presents a selection and summary of good practices from EU Member States, donor states Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway and countries outside of Europe. The practices have been identified by studying printed and electronic publications of foreign entities and comparative reports of international organisations on the legislation, policies and practices in different countries. Part of the information has been collected via foreign partners of the Center for the Study of Democracy under projects, related to the selected vulnerable groups and the capacity building of civic organisations.

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Public Opinion on Foreign Investment, April 1993

Author(s): Daniela Bobeva,Blagovest Georgiev,Sasho Stojanov,Bojan Guseiev,Tihomir Bezlov / Language(s): English

Compared with the other central and eastern European countries - Hungary, Czech and Slovak republics and Poland, foreign investment turns to be a new phenomenon for the Bulgarian economy. Thus the public opinion on it is in a process of forming. The role of researchers, different studies, the mass-media and foreign investors, themselves, in inspiring public support and acceptance of foreign investment is of great importance. This will contribute to the success of investments that have been made as well as to their further attraction to the country.

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CSD Policy Brief No. 12: Конкурентоспособност на българската икономика 2007

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

With the partnership of CSD this year Bulgaria was included for the second time in the World's oldest and most comprehensive annual report on competitiveness, the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2007. It has been published without interruption since 1989 by IMD (International Institute for Management Development). Bulgaria’s competitiveness was covered and ranked together with 54 other leading world economies. This year Bulgaria came 41st on the scoreboard, surpassing Italy, Romania, Ukraine, Turkey, Poland, and Croatia among others. The position is an achievement in its own right, considering that the country is measured up against the champion nations setting the trends in the world economic competition. In 2007 Bulgaria has largely kept its position compared to the previous year, but its business efficiency has declined. Meanwhile, the country’s overall economic performance has improved.

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Политически брифинг № 36 на CSD: Образователната интеграция на деца бежанци и търсещи убежище: ситуацията в България и опитът на други европейски страни

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

This analysis represents the results of a specialised study of the educational integration of refugee and asylum-seeking children (RASC) in the Member States of the European Union, conducted in 2011 by the Center for the Study of Democracy within the framework on the INTEGRACE project. With regard to Bulgaria, the main approaches, mechanisms and deficiencies in the system for educational integration of RASC were presented and recommendations for its improvement were given.

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Политически брифинг № 54 на CSD: Трафик на деца сред уязвими ромски общности

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

Trafficking in persons is a lucrative crime and a gross human rights violation, which affects all EU Member States. Trafficking in children merits special attention of anti-trafficking efforts as children are especially vulnerable to trafficking, re-trafficking and victimisation and the number of children trafficked throughout the EU is on the rise. Investigation, protection and prevention measures for child trafficking are especially needed as the exploitation of children and violation of their rights have dramatic negative effects on children and society as a whole. While there is some empirical evidence on trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation of women, other forms of trafficking have not drawn attention of researchers, academics and policy makers. This means that victims of exploitation fall outside the radar of identification and thus cannot access the available assistance. Having this in mind, a consortium of seven partner organisations3 sough to explore three specific under-researched forms of child trafficking in order to contribute to the knowledge on how and why children fall prey to exploitation. The three forms studied are child trafficking for the purpose of begging exploitation, child trafficking for the purpose of pick-pocketing and child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation of boys.

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Политически брифинг № 58 на CSD: Прозрачно управление и енергийна сигурност в Централна и Източна Европа

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

The national and regional energy security of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries has become a hot topic of discussion in the EU recently, focusing the attention of experts, policy makers, and the general public on ongoing and future energy projects but also on the features of energy governance in these countries. The interruption of gas supplies to Europe as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian pricing dispute in 2009, the continuing Russian-Ukrainian crisis after the annexation of Crimea, and the EU-Russia controversies regarding the South Stream pipeline project, as well as Gazprom’s non-compliance with the EU regulations in several anti-trust cases in the past few years are the major cornerstones that shape the CEE energy security framework and policy options as the region remains heavily dependent on Russian oil, gas, and nuclear technology. At the same time, the fragile democratic traditions in the CEE countries, the existing networks of political protectionism and economic oligarchy, and the opaque business practices nurtured by corruption and links with organized crime, have been reinforced by the negative implications of Russian economic and geo-political influence. Russia has exploited its dominant position in the energy market and its long-term links with certain political and economic groups to shape political decisions across the region according to its own interests, but often to the detriment of the home country consumers. The current review of energy security risks in four selected CEE countries, two energy poor – Bulgaria and Serbia, and two energy-resourced– Romania and Ukraine, assesses the factual situation per se and the transparency and accountability of energy policy governance in the region.

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Политически брифинг № 58 на CSD: ПРОЗРАЧНОЕ УПРАВЛЕНИЕ И ЭНЕРГОБЕЗОПАСНОСТЬ В ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ И ВОСТОЧНОЙ ЕВРОПЕ

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

The national and regional energy security of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries has become a hot topic of discussion in the EU recently, focusing the attention of experts, policy makers, and the general public on ongoing and future energy projects but also on the features of energy governance in these countries. The interruption of gas supplies to Europe as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian pricing dispute in 2009, the continuing Russian-Ukrainian crisis after the annexation of Crimea, and the EU-Russia controversies regarding the South Stream pipeline project, as well as Gazprom’s non-compliance with the EU regulations in several anti-trust cases in the past few years are the major cornerstones that shape the CEE energy security framework and policy options as the region remains heavily dependent on Russian oil, gas, and nuclear technology. At the same time, the fragile democratic traditions in the CEE countries, the existing networks of political protectionism and economic oligarchy, and the opaque business practices nurtured by corruption and links with organized crime, have been reinforced by the negative implications of Russian economic and geo-political influence. Russia has exploited its dominant position in the energy market and its long-term links with certain political and economic groups to shape political decisions across the region according to its own interests, but often to the detriment of the home country consumers. The current review of energy security risks in four selected CEE countries, two energy poor – Bulgaria and Serbia, and two energy-resourced– Romania and Ukraine, assesses the factual situation per se and the transparency and accountability of energy policy governance in the region.

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CSD Policy Brief No. 58: GESTIONAREA TRANSPARENTĂ ŞI SECURITATEA ENERGETICĂ ÎN EUROPA CENTRALĂ ŞI DE EST

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

The national and regional energy security of Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries has become a hot topic of discussion in the EU recently, focusing the attention of experts, policy makers, and the general public on ongoing and future energy projects but also on the features of energy governance in these countries. The interruption of gas supplies to Europe as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian pricing dispute in 2009, the continuing Russian-Ukrainian crisis after the annexation of Crimea, and the EU-Russia controversies regarding the South Stream pipeline project, as well as Gazprom’s non-compliance with the EU regulations in several anti-trust cases in the past few years are the major cornerstones that shape the CEE energy security framework and policy options as the region remains heavily dependent on Russian oil, gas, and nuclear technology. At the same time, the fragile democratic traditions in the CEE countries, the existing networks of political protectionism and economic oligarchy, and the opaque business practices nurtured by corruption and links with organized crime, have been reinforced by the negative implications of Russian economic and geo-political influence. Russia has exploited its dominant position in the energy market and its long-term links with certain political and economic groups to shape political decisions across the region according to its own interests, but often to the detriment of the home country consumers. The current review of energy security risks in four selected CEE countries, two energy poor – Bulgaria and Serbia, and two energy-resourced– Romania and Ukraine, assesses the factual situation per se and the transparency and accountability of energy policy governance in the region.

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Политически брифинг № 59 на CSD: Регистрация на юридическите лица с нестопанска цел: правна рамка и предложения за промени

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

Improvement of registration of non-profit organisations (NPOs) – associations and foundations, is a necessary precondition for strengthening the civil society and increasing its transparency and accountability. An easy and simple registration procedure, with no duplication of information and functioning automatic exchange of data, is an important stage in the establishment of a modern registration system. It also guarantees the availability of reliable and up-to-date information on all registered entities.

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Политически брифинг № 60 на CSD: Медийната (не)зависимост: рискове и тенденции

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

The role of Bulgarian media in public life came under scrutiny after several media outlets were used as an instrument for triggering political crises and for political engineering (2013 – 2014). At that time, the Bulgarian media market was experiencing the impact of two negative trends. On the one hand, the economic crisis of 2009 – 2013 had cut advertising revenues by half. On the other, the old models of media financing were diminished by the use of digital technologies and the explosive growth of social networks and mobile communications. The loss of financial sustainability by the media presented unique opportunities for Bulgarian oligarchic groups. By accumulating a significant share of the media market, they reached an unprecedented level of political influence (including direct influence on the legislative, executive and judicial powers). The media was used as an instrument for state capture that could present severe security and economic risks.

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БЪЛГАРСКИТЕ МАЛКИ И СРЕДНИ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЯ И УЧАСТИЕТО ИМ В УСВОЯВАНЕТО НА СТРУКТУРНИТЕ ФОНДОВЕ НА ЕВРОПЕЙСКИЯ СЪЮЗ. Аналитичен доклад

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

After Bulgaria joins the EU in 2007 the country will receive access to the Structural Funds (SF) and the Cohesion Fund of the European Union (EU), which are the main instruments for reducing the economic and social disparities within the Union. The effective management of these proceeds entails good knowledge of the EU Funds’ requirements and thorough preparation at national, regional and local levels both by the public and private sectors, including the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In 2000 in Lisbon, the European Commission and the EU Member States agreed upon the ambitious goal that by 2010 the European Union would have to become the most dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world . The instruments and mechanisms to achieve this goal have been outlined in the Lisbon Strategy of the EU. In 2005, an interim review on the progress of the Lisbon Strategy was done, based on which it was concluded that the Union was falling behind in some of its basic parameters, and that the gap between the EU and the leading innovative world economies of the United States and Japan was broadening.

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Integracja ubezpieczeń środowiskowych i systemów zarządzania środowiskowego według ISO 14001 – raport z badań

Author(s): Malwina Lemkowska / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

The article is a summary of research on the actual and potential integration of environmental insurance and ISO 14001 environmental management systems (EMSs) in Poland. The aim ofthe research is to analyze the relationship of the above-mentioned instruments of environmental risk management and to identify the factors determining the propensity of enterprises to implement such elements of the system that will increase the usefulness of ISO 14001 standards for insurance purposes in the future. The data for the study were obtained through an asynchronous group interview conducted on the Bulletin Board platform among insurance sector experts and through a survey of organizations that implemented the ISO 14001 system in Poland. Template analysis of qualitative data, supported by narrative techniques and statistical analysis based on the chi-square test of independence, U Mann–Whitney test, Kruskal–Wallistest, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to interpret the data. Environmental management systems according to ISO 14001 are not, in their current form, used in the process of providing insurance cover for environmental risk. Organizations managed according to ISO14001 rarely design and implement solutions useful to insurers. The latter, however, are statistically significantly correlated with the awareness attributes of the organization. Awareness attributes were also strongly related with the variables describing the propensity to implement additional – useful for insurance purposes – EMSs elements. The strongest motivators for the above, however, were of a non-insurance nature (e.g. obtaining tax credit).

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Propunere listă de indicatori de performanţă pentru oraşul inteligent

Author(s): Lucian-Marian Pavel / Language(s): Romanian Publication Year: 0

The notion of smart cities has emerged as an essential solution for tackling the significant challenges facing contemporary society, including rapid urbanization, climate change and globalization. Smart cities harness state-of-the-art technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to enhance various aspects of urban life, spanning from living conditions and work environments to information accessibility, social interactions and environmental sustainability. This technological integration offers numerous benefits, accelerating infrastructure development and improving residents' quality of life. Standardization and the incorporation of international standards, such as ISO 37120, ISO 37122 and ISO 37123 play a crucial role in assessing city performance. Romania's adoption of these standards represents a significant step towards evaluating and improving its cities. However, for efficacious implementation, it is imperative to develop implementation guidelines and provide support and training to local authorities. A comprehensive list of 95 performance indicators, categorized into six domains, can provide cities with essential tools for assessing and monitoring their progress towards becoming smart cities and promoting sustainable development. Customizing these indicators to match the unique characteristics of each city and fostering close collaboration with local communities, organizations and experts are crucial aspects for shaping and overseeing strategic objectives that positively influence the quality of life and sustainable urban development. This personalized approach is vital for the successful realization of smart cities.

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Strategie firm w obliczu sankcji nałożonych na Rosję

Author(s): Beata Stępień,Szymon Truskolaski / Language(s): Polish Publication Year: 0

Purpose: In this chapter, we analyse how companies responded to sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. We examine the impact of selected external (public-legal pressure, the size of sanctions and crisis caused by the war) and internal factors (strategic agility, code of ethics and sustainable conduct) on the degree of compliance with sanctions and the type of adaptation strategies adopted. Design/methodology/approach: The objects of the study are medium-sized companies from countries that have imposed sanctions (here, Poland, Germany and the US). The results come from an electronic questionnaire survey conducted in 2023 among 610 medium-sized companies operating in industries directly or indirectly affected by trade restrictions. Findings: The company’s code of ethics and the perceived severity of the crisis have the greatest impacton the approach to sanctions and respective adaptation strategies. At the same time, external and internal pressure affect companies in opposite directions, with consequences for their adaptation strategies.

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Tрансхуманизмът като важен фактор в осъществяването на политически промени

Author(s): Ivan Kolev / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The subject of the research is transhumanism and its influence on political changes. The report is a revised part of the dissertation chapters I defended in January 2023. The paper's title is: „Transhumanism and human enhancement: conceptual perspectives, communities, and risks“. The scientific and technological expansion helps the emergence of political parties professing a transhumanist ideology. The analysis uses data obtained by conducting 1 semi-structured interview with a leader of a transhumanist party; from party manifestos, documents, literature, and research by other scholars on the subject. The political landscape is updated with themes related to transhumanism: especially the attitude toward applying NBIC technologies (nanotechnology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and robotics).

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Историята – политическият инструмент на трансформацията

Author(s): Nina Dulgerova / Language(s): Bulgarian Publication Year: 0

The main emphasis of the article is placed on the possibilities created by history as an effective political tool.

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