CSD-Report 30 - Energy Sector Governance and Energy (In)Security in Bulgaria

Author(s): Ruslan Stefanov,Todor Galev,Martin Tsanov,Martin Vladimirov,Nadejda Gantcheva / Language(s): English

This report explores the major governance deficiencies in the Bulgarian energy policy regarding the strategic, institutional, and legal framework of the sector. The report focuses on state capture of energy policy by private political and economic interests that led to bad management practices in the sector, to lack of consistency in the legal and regulatory framework, to deteriorating investment environment, and to the involvement of the country in infrastructure projects that undermine the national long-term strategy and policy priorities. This has affected negatively the Bulgarian taxpayers and consumers, has jeopardized the financial stability of the state-owned energy companies, and, ultimately, has reduced the energy security of the country. The report recommends that the implementation of the country’s energy policy should be reconsidered and should be based on EU priorities and on sound cost-benefit analyses with regard to Bulgaria’s energy security.

CSD-Report 28 - Countering police corruption: European perspectives

Author(s): Rositsa Dzhekova,Philip Gounev,Tihomir Bezlov / Language(s): English

This publication reviews the policies and institutional mechanisms for countering police corruption in several EU member states. To be effective, anti-corruption efforts should be based on a system of independent and mutually accountable institutions which are sufficiently empowered to implement their objectives. This report emphasises the last two decades of experience in the UK, Belgium and Austria in modernising their anti-corruption policies and institutions. In addition to the institutional and legal framework, concrete measures and methods (risk assessment, integrity tests, etc.) are also examined. The Bulgarian and Romanian experience in countering corruption in law enforcement institutions is also reviewed with an emphasis on some of the main problems and gaps that undermine effective counter measures.

CSD-Report 27 - Assisting and reintegrating child victims of trafficking in Bulgaria: legal, institutional and policy framework

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

The report explores the legal, institutional and policy framework of countering child trafficking in Bulgaria and assisting and reintegrating its victims. It looks at Bulgarian criminal law and criminal procedure, as well as other legal norms, relevant to the subject, and the extent to which they comply with international standards. The study presents the different stages of referral victims go through, the various institutions and organisations, involved in the process, and the policies and initiatives they pursue in improving child victims’ situation. A number of recommendations are put forward in terms of possible legislative amendments, strengthening policy framework and furthering capacity building of institutions, entrusted with combating child trafficking.

CSD-Report 26 - Countering Organised Crime in Bulgaria: Study on the Legal Framework

Author(s): Maria Yordanova,Dimitar Markov / Language(s): English

The publication analyses and assesses the legal framework on countering organised crime and examines the problems, which arise in its practical application. On this basis, recommendations are made to improve the legislation and bring it into conformity with international standards and the existing good practices, as well as to overcome the weaknesses in the application of law which impede the detection and punishment of organised criminal activity or infringe fundamental principles of criminal procedure and the rights of the participants in it.

CSD-Report 25 - The Hidden Economy in Bulgaria and the Global Economic Crisis

Author(s): Andrey Nonchev,Denitsa Mantcheva,Evgenia Vassileva,Ruslan Stefanov,Todor Yalamov / Language(s): English

This publication provides an overview of the hidden economy dynamics in Bulgaria. The authors make an analysis of the effects of the crisis on the labor market and undeclared work based on the results from the Hidden Economy Monitoring System. After examining the European and the Bulgarian experience of the last five years, they make recommendations to the improvement of the public policies for reducing the hidden economy. The authors also justify the necessity of combining administrative control, socio-economic measures and structural reforms in the control administrations and the law enforcement agencies.

CSD-Report 24 - Green Energy Governance in Bulgaria at a Crossroads

Author(s): Ruslan Stefanov,Denitza Mantcheva,Nikolay Tagarov,Dobromir Hristov,Valentina Nikolova / Language(s): English

The current report reviews existing policies for energy sustainability in Bulgaria and the EU, the main achievements and challenges in their implementation, and discusses the central issues to Bulgaria’s sustainable development agenda. The report presents a summary of the transition to sustainable development in Bulgaria, and offers policy recommendations for improving the governance of the Bulgarian green energy sector. Achieving security, sustainability, and competitiveness in the energy sector is a daunting task for a union of twenty-seven states, especially since the issue of securing the supply of energy has traditionally been a national matter. In their drive to reach climate change and energy targets during the past decade, European governments have utilized quick fix solutions like turning to nuclear power or replacing coal with gas, thus burdening future generations with nuclear waste disposal and increasing EU’s energy dependence on Russia. Yet, two major events – the gas crisis of January 2009 and the Fukusima nuclear disaster of March 2011 – have reshaped the thinking and rekindled the debate on the ways of achieving energy security and stability of supply in Europe.

CSD-Report 22 - Energy and Good Governance in Bulgaria. Trends and Policy Options

Author(s): Ruslan Stefanov,Valentina Nikolova,Dobromir Hristov,Assen Dyulgerov,Kiril Gegov,Georgi Kaschiev / Language(s): English

The report explores the major deficiencies in the strategic, institutional, and legal framework of the Bulgarian energy sector. The analysis of the management of state-owned energy companies and large energy infrastructure projects reveals the disregard for even the most fundamental principles of accountability and control in their planning and implementation. This has affected negatively the Bulgarian taxpayers and consumers, has jeopardized the financial stability of the state-owned energy companies, and, ultimately, has reduced the energy security of the country. The report recommends that the implementation of the large energy infrastructure projects be reconsidered and be based on a sound cost-benefit analysis with regard to Bulgaria’s energy security.

Оценка на заплахите от организирана престъпност: Методологически проблеми и световен опит

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

The report Organised Crime Threat Assessment: Methodological Problems and International Experience contains methodology models and samples used for the assessment of threats associated with organised crime as well as official documents of EU member states combining the analysis of criminal phenomena with forecasts and recommendations for counteractions to be taken by national bodies and specialized European organizations such as Europol.

CSD-Report 18 - Corruption in Public Procurement: Risks and Reform Policies

Author(s): Konstantin Pashev,Assen Dyulgerov,Georgi Kaschiev / Language(s): English

Public procurement is among those spheres in the management of the public sector in Bulgaria which are characterized by the highest corruption risk. Generally speaking, the abuses in this sphere relate to the awarding of the public procurement contract to a pre-selected supplier to the detriment of the public interest through violation of the principles of competition for the purpose of gaining personal benefit. // The report examines the corruption in public procurement and assesses the losses from it. It also focuses on big corruption in public procurement with a view to the fine-tuning of the policy tools. This type of corruption covers all transactions and procedures which fall or should fall within the scope of the public procurement legislation. These are most of the supplies whose price or qualitative parameters are subject to negotiation between the contracting authorities in the public sector and the suppliers from the private sector.

CSD-Report 16 - Corruption and Tax Compliance. Policy and Administration Challenges

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

National and international corruption indices suggest that the Bulgarian tax administration has an important role to play in fighting corruption. While the general public and the business community are inclined to think better of the tax administration, in terms of the levels and spread of corruption, by comparison with other institutions, such as customs, the police or the judiciary, corruption in the tax administration is still admittedly rather high. Business largely believes that most, if not all, tax officers are involved in corruption. Over the last five years, one out of five businesses on average has come under corruption pressure at the hands of tax officers. While they would not go as far as to accept the taxpayers’ perception of the situation, members of the tax administration do not deny the problem. They see the administration’s functional areas for Tax Audit and Operational Control as worst affected in terms of, respectively, the amounts of money changing hands and the frequency of such transactions. International surveys are inconclusive about the level of corruption in the Bulgarian tax administration on a comparison basis. The World Economic Forum rates it as relatively low within the enlarged European Union. By contrast, the World Bank has found it to be higher than corruption levels in most of the Balkans and the former Soviet republics. // The purpose of this study is not primarily to add another estimate of the level and scale of tax corruption in Bulgaria but rather, to contribute to an in-depth diagnosis of the phenomenon in terms of its drivers at work in individual and institutional behaviour.National and international corruption indices suggest that the Bulgarian tax administration has an important role to play in fighting corruption. While the general public and the business community are inclined to think better of the tax administration, in terms of the levels and spread of corruption, by comparison with other institutions, such as customs, the police or the judiciary, corruption in the tax administration is still admittedly rather high. Business largely believes that most, if not all, tax officers are involved in corruption. Over the last five years, one out of five businesses on average has come under corruption pressure at the hands of tax officers. While they would not go as far as to accept the taxpayers’ perception of the situation, members of the tax administration do not deny the problem. They see the administration’s functional areas for Tax Audit and Operational Control as worst affected in terms of, respectively, the amounts of money changing hands and the frequency of such transactions. International surveys are inconclusive about the level of corruption in the Bulgarian tax administration on a comparison basis. The World Economic Forum rates it as relatively low within the enlarged European Union. By contrast, the World Bank has found it to be higher than corruption levels in most of the Balkans and the former Soviet republics. The purpose of this study is not primarily to add another estimate of the level and scale of tax corruption in Bulgaria but rather, to contribute to an in-depth diagnosis of the phenomenon in terms of its drivers at work in individual and institutional behaviour.

CSD-Report 14 - Weapons under Scrutiny: Implementing Arms Export Controls and Combating Small Arms Proliferation in Bulgaria

Author(s): Philip Gounev,Emil Tsenkov,Bernardo Mariani,Larry Attree / Language(s): English

The report concludes that despite the evolution of Bulgaria’s arms export controls and its relatively clean record, compared to most of the 1990s, there is still room for improvement. The best approach to tackling all the issues raised in this report is through stricter implementation of the new export control mechanism adopted in 2002. // The report is divided into five parts. Part one provides an analysis of the social and economic reasons that have contributed to the reluctance among Bulgarian politicians to strengthen arms controls. It describes the transformation of the defense industry in the post-Communist transition period, as well as its current state. Part two provides an analytical description of Bulgaria’s arms control mechanism. Part three examines the factors contributing to illegal arms exports from Bulgaria and offers some data from recent cases. Part four focuses on the potential social, economic, and political effects of stronger arms controls. The last section offers a number of recommendations for the improvement of the export-control system.

Антикорупция. Учебно помагало

Author(s): Andrey Nonchev,Emil Tsenkov,Dobrin Kanev,Nevyana Kaneva,Maria Yordanova,Boyko Slavchev,Boris Velchev,Zhivka Damyanova,Petkan Iliev,Todor Yalamov,Georgi Rupchev / Language(s): Bulgarian

A special expert group on anticorruption education was set up in the framework of Coalition 2000 with the task of preparing an updated version of the Anticorruption Education Manual published in 2000. The new manual was published in only in Bulgarian. It reflects the new priorities in the fight against corruption and is adapted for university curricula. The anticorruption manual contains the following main chapters: I. Corruption as a Social Phenomenon; II. Anticorruption Strategies in the Public Sphere; III. Anticorruption Strategies in the Economy; IV. Civil Society against Corruption; V. International Practices against Corruption.

CSD-Report 09 - Corruption and Trafficking: Monitoring and Prevention. Assessment Methodologies and Models of Counteracting Transborder Crime (Second revisited and amended edition)

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

This is the second updated edition under the same title, published by the Center for the Study of Democracy of its Reports/ Analyses series to be distributed among participants in Regional Coordination Meeting of Subtable "Justice and Home Affairs" of Stability Pact Working Table III, held in Sofia on October 3rd, 2000. // This latest analytical report is the outcome of the efforts of non-government organizations and state institutions, and of independent experts and journalists as well within the framework of the Coalition 2000 process. Launched in 1997, Coalition 2000 strives to support the restriction and curbing of corrupt practices in Bulgarian society, including regular monitoring of public perceptions and attitudes towards corruption. // The illicit trafficking growth, as one of the most important sources of local "gray economy" throughout the 90ies, was caused by a number of international and internal factors, the most crucial of which being the weakening of the post-communist state and the spread of corruption practices among state officials. // The threat on society posed by the interlacing of the interests both of crossborder crime perpetrators and the associated corrupt public officials (customs officials being the most alarming example according to public opinion), became a serious public concern. This initiated the necessity to analyze the phenomenon and to identify adequate monitoring and counteraction measures, moreover this type of crime finds further confirmation in experts' estimate that a large portion of the local gray economy is related to smuggling of goods and the proceeds of the respective unlawful activities.

CSD-Report 01 - Структурните фондове на Европейския Съюз: кратко ръководство (Bulgarian version)

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

The Structural Funds are financial instruments for implementing the European Union's policy of economic and social cohesion between regions. Implementing a policy aimed at reducing the disparities in the level of development of the various regions and the backwardness of the least developed regions, including agriculture, by reallocating financial resources, has made a significant contribution to economic stability in the EU and to raising the level of employment.

Тенденции на престъпността в България 2000 - 2005

Author(s): Tihomir Bezlov,Philip Gounev,Hristo Hristov / Language(s): Bulgarian

The report for a second consecutive year presents information about Bulgaria’s crime rate from an alternative source - victimization surveys - and attempts to make a systematic comparison of the crime level according to victim-reported crime and police crime data. The crime situation in Bulgaria is also compared to crime in a number of European countries. The findings of three national crime victims surveys, referred to throughout this report as National Crime Surveys (NCS), offer an opportunity to assess street crime in Bulgaria in the period 2000–2005. // The first NCS 2002 and NCS 2004 examined only 11 categories of offenses against households and persons, while NCS 2005 also incorporates 11 categories of offenses against companies. The 11 categories of offenses included in the NCS correspond to about 80% of all police-registered crimes in Bulgaria. The report does not cover corruption, drug-related or organized crime offenses, as they are the subject of other CSD analyses. // Toward the end of the 1990s and, particularly after the year 2000, as the prospect of EU membership became more likely, greater political stability and economic prosperity in Bulgaria led to a gradual decrease in crime. This trend, which was most perceptible in the period 2000–2005, was the result of several factors. Declining unemployment, rising incomes and economic growth provided alternatives to many individuals with criminal incomes. Demographic processes and emigration also contributed to the reduction in crime. Further strengthening of the judiciary and the law-enforcement systems, in an attempt to meet EU-set requirements, revived the criminal justice system, which in 2004 issued six times more sentences than it did in 1993. // A comparison of the NCS 2005 with the European Union International Crime Survey (EUICS) shows that Bulgaria’s level of street crime has remained lower than the average level of EU countries. Whereas in 2004 the average EU prevalence rate for the eleven crime categories among citizens above 15 was 15.6%, the prevalence rate in Bulgaria was 12.9%. The dynamics of some types of crimes, however, calls for special attention.

Креирање родово ефективни политики: Модел за зајакнување на дијалогот и вклучување на граѓаните од заедницата во процесот на креирање родово одговорни политики

Author(s): Ana Blazheva,Katerina Kolozova,Marija Savovska,Artan Sadiku,Suzana Grozdanovska,Kalina Lechevska,Viktorija Borovska / Language(s): Macedonian

Narracje o miastach podzielonych w Europie Środkowej: Słubice i Frankfurt nad Odrą oraz Cieszyn i Czeski Cieszyn

Author(s): Elżbieta Opiłowska,Kamila Dolińska,Justyna Kajta,Julita Makaro,Natalia Niedźwiecka-Iwańczak / Language(s): Polish

Zarówno jakość danych, jak i rzetelność analityczna przyczyniają się do tego, że publikacja niniejsza ukazuje zniuansowany obraz życia miast podzielonych. Rodzą się w nich obrazy tożsamościowe budowane w oparciu o różnorodne reguły bliskości i odległości społecznej oraz terytorialnej, podobieństwa i różnice warunków życiowych oraz kulturowych, doświadczanych w bezpośrednim terytorialnym sąsiedztwie.dr hab. Dariusz Wojakowski, prof. AGH Książka ma w założeniach charakter interdyscyplinarny, jak zresztą cała tradycja współczesnych badań nad granicami i pograniczami. Jej głównym celem jest zaprezentowanie „bitwy narracyjnej" toczącej się w ramach dwumiast, a więc różnego rodzaju narracji i imaginacji, za pośrednictwem których konstruowana jest tożsamość tych miast w świadomości ich mieszkanek i mieszkańców. Istotnym elementem jest zwrócenie uwagi na niespójność między spotykanymi w badanych lokalizacjach deklaracjami ideowymi a życiem codziennym. dr Łukasz Rogowski, UAM

Values, systems, education. Challenges and Perspectives

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

This volume includes a selection of the papers presented at the International Conference "Education in the Perspective of Values", the XVth edition, held at the Moldova State University, Republic of Moldova, in Chişinău, on September 29 th - October 1 st, 2023.

Планът за развитие и устойчивост - предизвикателства пред Висшето образование и наука: Сборник с доклади

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

This collection presents some of the topics discussed during the annual meeting of Association of Professors in Economics and Management in Industry (APEMI), covering important areas such as: the development of the 21st-century economy, pandemic consequences and post-pandemic business policies, the development of digital tools, innovations and investments, and human resources in business.

Anthology of Turkish Science Fiction Stories

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

Turkish science fiction dates back to the early years of the twentieth century and serious development has been seen ever since. The writers, who escaped from the darkness of the First World War and took refuge in utopian science fiction, added the excitement created by science and technology to their texts over time. Turkish writers, who followed the science fiction works from the West and made efforts for the development of this genre, produced very qualified works that could compete with their contemporaries at some points. However, due to some historical, social, and economic problems, it was not possible for these works to meet readers in the West. In this anthology, the works of Turkish science fiction writers are brought together for the first time in English. Contemporary science fiction writers have written short stories for this anthology. Hence, the resulting diversity of stories represents a contribution to science fiction literature. An important feature of the anthology is that it includes examples showing how science and technology are perceived philosophically by authors outside of Europe and America. Since literature is an indispensable resource to investigate the equivalent of science fiction, which was born with modernism, in “post-modern” societies. This anthology of Turkish science fiction will be an important Non-Western SF source for both science fiction readers and researchers.