We kindly inform you that, as long as the subject affiliation of our 300.000+ articles is in progress, you might get unsufficient or no results on your third level or second level search. In this case, please broaden your search criteria.

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.

More...

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.

More...

SKRIVENA EKONOMIJA U JUGOISTOČNOJ EVROPI: IMPLIKACIJE NA MONITORING I JAVNE POLITIKE ZA DOBRO UPRAVLJANJE

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

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.

More...

CSD Policy Brief No. 68: Monitoring Radicalisation and Extremism

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

Over the last decade, radicalisation and extremism have become issues of particular concern for Europe. New risks of Islamist and far-right radicalisation have impelled the introduction of policies, the effects of which are only now being evaluated. As radicalisation that risks escalating into violence is more amenable to prevention than repression, having the capacity to detect early warning signs and trace the spread of extremist activity over time is critical. This brief outlines a set of methodologies for monitoring the risk of radicalisation and the trends in extremism based on an integrated approach to the indicators being monitored and the institutional mechanism doing the monitoring. These methodologies are designed to equip stakeholders – both governmental and non-governmental – with a tool which fuses a broad range of informational inputs; it will enable informed formulation of prevention and counter-radicalisation policies.

More...

Policy and Legal Environment for the Growth of the SME Sector in Bulgaria

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

The Policy Forum aims to identify those factors that will improve the economic and legal environment for the growth of the small and medium sized enterprise("SME") sector in Bulgaria. The forum has brought together some of the country's most influential individuals, representing various institutional and independent bodies, to discuss the constraints that are hindering the development of the SME sector and to propose and review various recommendations to overcome these obstacles.

More...

Migration - Europe's Integration and the Labour Force Brain-Drain

Author(s): Daniela Bobeva,Ivan Chalakov,Jordan Markov / Language(s): English

The report is aiming to answer the questions: What was going on in the science of Bulgaria in the years of transition and the related to it mass emigration of scientists abroad? Was that an occurrence of 'freedom euphoria', or 'a natural process of science internationalization'? What are the results from that process? What are the 'losses' and the 'benefits'? Who was the one 'to lose' and who - 'to win'? What are the perspectives?

More...

American-Bulgarian Economic Cooperation Forum: Expanding Investment and Trade - How Can Institutions Help?

Author(s): Stephan Kyutchukov,Daniela Bobeva,Svilen Parvulov,Stephan Hadjitodorov,Valeri Kostov / Language(s): English

The collection of papers presents recommendations to be considered by governmental and non-governmental organizations to improve their coordination and effectiveness in trade and investment promotion activities. The papers were presented at a forum, that brought together approximately 30 representatives of American and Bulgarian institutions involved in promoting bilateral trade and investment. It was organized at the initiative of the Bulgarian Ambassador to the United States — Mrs Snezhana Botousharova - with support from the Open Society Fund. The objective was two-fold: - to identify those factors that currently constrain American investment in Bulgaria and hinder trade expansion; and, - to define a framework of actions to be undertaken by the Bulgarian and American institutions to promote expanded bilateral economic cooperation.

More...

The Labour Market Policy In Bulgaria (1990 - 1993)

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

Three years after the beginning of the political changes and two years after the beginning of the economic reform in Bulgaria a large portion of the population think that unemployment is not an inevitable phenomenon. Data from a national opinion poll of March 1993 reveal that a mere 27.3 percent consider unemployment natural and inevitable , and 63.3 percent think the Government should take measures to stop unemployment.

More...

Recommendations to Facilitate Expanded Economic Relations between Bulgaria and the United States, January 1995

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

The recommendation presented in this document were developed by the Center for the Study of Democracy, based on discussions held during the Bulgarian-American Economic Cooperation Forum, and subsequent consultations with a variety of the participants. These recommendations do not necessary reflect the views of the Bulgarian and American institutions represented at the forum.

More...

Debt-Equity Swaps In the Context of Privatization: the Case of Bulgaria

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

Bulgaria is continuing transformation towards market-driven economy in a rather strained environment - huge foreign debt burden, sustained losses due to the Gulf War and the UN embargo against Serbia and Montenegro. The establishment of private property and market-oriented legislation, and the ongoing law reform aim at promoting private sector expansion and removing restrictions to foreign capital inflow.

More...

Trade Policy in The Context of Bulgaria’s Accession to the European Union, August 1995

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

In the economic area the EU integration process evolved from the Treaty of Rome (1957) establishing a common market and a progressive approximation of the economic policies of Member States, through the Single European Act (1986) providing for the establishment of the internal market, comprising an area without internal frontiers, to the Treaty on the European Union (1992) committing EU members to another significant deepening of integration namely the establishment of economic and monetary union, ultimately including a single currency.

More...

Bulgarian Fiscal Policy in the Stabilization Program

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

The first changes (after the most important political change on November 10, 1989) toward a pluralistic society and market economy appeared in 1990. In that year for the first time Bulgaria began its fiscal year (which coincided with the calendar year) without a budget prepared and approved by Parliament - due to the complicated economic and political situation. In 1990 alone. Parliament voted the state budget twice (the second budget was an updated version of the earlier one and its basic indicators were even worse). The actual implementation, in turn, was a less successful version of the second budget. This tradition was followed throughout 1991 and will obviously prevail as well in 1992.

More...

Bulgarian financial markets during 1991 - 1992. Institutional mechanisms, role and results of monetary policy

Author(s): Nikolay Gueorgiev,Nikolay Gospodinov / Language(s): English

The radical transformation of the nation's economic system requires that a new financial system facilitating the functioning of today's market economy to the utmost degree should be created. The consolidation of the banking system through the enlargement of existing commercial banks aiming at a higher degree of their stability is now under way.

More...

БЪЛГАРИЯ: ИНДИКАТОРИ ЗА ЕНЕРГИЙНА СИГУРНОСТ И ПРЕДИЗВИКАТЕЛСТВА ПРЕД ПОЛИТИКИТЕ

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

National bulletins present a critical analysis of energy security management in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, and highlight the major challenges faced by countries in their transition to more transparent and data-driven policy-making processes. The management of state energy enterprises in CEE is strongly influenced by political interference, violating their investment independence and regulatory oversight. This is particularly noticeable in Bulgaria and Ukraine. The political pressure to reduce electricity and gas prices in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia further increases the vulnerability of their energy sectors.Strong dependence on a single source and route for gas supply is the most serious risk to energy security in all countries. In Bulgaria and Ukraine, this risk is exacerbated by their dependence on imported oil from the same source - Russia. While Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have made efforts for energy diversification, Serbia seems to support the current status quo, although it pays some of Europe's highest natural gas prices.

More...

РУМЪНИЯ: ИНДИКАТОРИ ЗА НАЦИОНАЛНА ЕНЕРГИЙНА СИГУРНОСТ И ПРЕДИЗВИКАТЕЛСТВА ПРЕД ПОЛИТИКАТА

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

National bulletins present a critical analysis of energy security management in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, and highlight the major challenges faced by countries in their transition to more transparent and data-driven policy-making processes. The management of state energy enterprises in CEE is strongly influenced by political interference, violating their investment independence and regulatory oversight. This is particularly noticeable in Bulgaria and Ukraine. The political pressure to reduce electricity and gas prices in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia further increases the vulnerability of their energy sectors.Strong dependence on a single source and route for gas supply is the most serious risk to energy security in all countries. In Bulgaria and Ukraine, this risk is exacerbated by their dependence on imported oil from the same source - Russia. While Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have made efforts for energy diversification, Serbia seems to support the current status quo, although it pays some of Europe's highest natural gas prices.

More...

SERBIA: NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY INDICATORS AND POLICY CHALLENGES. Country factsheet

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

National bulletins present a critical analysis of energy security management in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, and highlight the major challenges faced by countries in their transition to more transparent and data-driven policy-making processes. The management of state energy enterprises in CEE is strongly influenced by political interference, violating their investment independence and regulatory oversight. This is particularly noticeable in Bulgaria and Ukraine. The political pressure to reduce electricity and gas prices in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia further increases the vulnerability of their energy sectors.Strong dependence on a single source and route for gas supply is the most serious risk to energy security in all countries. In Bulgaria and Ukraine, this risk is exacerbated by their dependence on imported oil from the same source - Russia. While Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have made efforts for energy diversification, Serbia seems to support the current status quo, although it pays some of Europe's highest natural gas prices.

More...

UKRAINE: NATIONAL ENERGY SECURITY INDICATORS AND POLICY CHALLENGES. Country factsheet

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

National bulletins present a critical analysis of energy security management in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine, and highlight the major challenges faced by countries in their transition to more transparent and data-driven policy-making processes. The management of state energy enterprises in CEE is strongly influenced by political interference, violating their investment independence and regulatory oversight. This is particularly noticeable in Bulgaria and Ukraine. The political pressure to reduce electricity and gas prices in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia further increases the vulnerability of their energy sectors.Strong dependence on a single source and route for gas supply is the most serious risk to energy security in all countries. In Bulgaria and Ukraine, this risk is exacerbated by their dependence on imported oil from the same source - Russia. While Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine have made efforts for energy diversification, Serbia seems to support the current status quo, although it pays some of Europe's highest natural gas prices.

More...

CSD Policy Brief No. 58: 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.

More...

Корупционни индекси. Регионален мониторинг на корупцията в Албания, Босна и Херцеговина, България, Македония, Румъния, Хърватска, СР Югославия Март 2001

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

The present report outlines the key findings of the Regional Corruption Monitoring carried out in seven countries of South Eastern Europe – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), and Croatia. The surveys conducted in these countries were based on the methodology of the Corruption Monitoring System of Coalition 2000 and marked the beginning of the implementation of a Regional Corruption Monitoring System. The main goal of this comparative analysis of the seven countries from the Balkan region is to show the public significance of the problem of corruption and the extent to which corruption has penetrated into the various elements of society.

More...

Корупционни индекси. Регионален мониторинг на корупцията в Албания, Босна и Херцеговина, България, Македония, Румъния, Хърватия и Югославия Април 2002

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

The report presents key findings about the level of corruption and corruption related perceptions in a cross country perspective. The analysis is based on national sample (n=1000) surveys of the population aged 18 and over in seven countries of Southeast Europe. It also includes comparative data from the 2001 survey conducted using the same methodology.

More...