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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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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.

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Взаимодействие между институциите и неправителствения сектор за подобряване на положението на пострадалите от домашно насилие

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

The initiative ‘Civic Organizations: a Guarantee for Equal Rights of Vulnerable Groups before the State’ encompasses four vulnerable groups: persons deprived of their liberty, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, as well as persons in need of international protection and other vulnerable foreigners. Although very different, those communities encounter similar problems in their relations with institutions: insufficient human and financial resourcing, work practices not always meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Thus, oftentimes those persons rely on civil society for improving their status, including through assistance before the respective competent authorities. Throughout its different stages, the initiative outlined the profile of the vulnerable groups, their relations with institutions and NGOs and promising foreign experience and practices applicable in the Bulgarian environment. A Concept for More Effective Civic Participation in the Assistance to Vulnerable Groups was developed, proposing further practical steps. The four memoranda (Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of domestic violence victims; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of victims of human trafficking; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of persons deprived of their liberty; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of persons seeking international protection and other vulnerable foreigners) contain specific recommendations to institutions, working with the vulnerable groups, based on the Concept and the opinions of various state authorities and civil society representatives.

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Взаимодействие между институциите и неправителствения сектор за подобряване на положението на жертвите на трафик на хора

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

The initiative ‘Civic Organizations: a Guarantee for Equal Rights of Vulnerable Groups before the State’ encompasses four vulnerable groups: persons deprived of their liberty, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, as well as persons in need of international protection and other vulnerable foreigners. Although very different, those communities encounter similar problems in their relations with institutions: insufficient human and financial resourcing, work practices not always meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Thus, oftentimes those persons rely on civil society for improving their status, including through assistance before the respective competent authorities. Throughout its different stages, the initiative outlined the profile of the vulnerable groups, their relations with institutions and NGOs and promising foreign experience and practices applicable in the Bulgarian environment. A Concept for More Effective Civic Participation in the Assistance to Vulnerable Groups was developed, proposing further practical steps. The four memoranda (Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of domestic violence victims; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of victims of human trafficking; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of persons deprived of their liberty; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of persons seeking international protection and other vulnerable foreigners) contain specific recommendations to institutions, working with the vulnerable groups, based on the Concept and the opinions of various state authorities and civil society representatives.

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Взаимодействие между институциите и неправителствения сектор за подобряване на положението на лишените от свобода. Меморандум с препоръки

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

The initiative ‘Civic Organizations: a Guarantee for Equal Rights of Vulnerable Groups before the State’ encompasses four vulnerable groups: persons deprived of their liberty, victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, as well as persons in need of international protection and other vulnerable foreigners. Although very different, those communities encounter similar problems in their relations with institutions: insufficient human and financial resourcing, work practices not always meeting the needs of vulnerable groups. Thus, oftentimes those persons rely on civil society for improving their status, including through assistance before the respective competent authorities. Throughout its different stages, the initiative outlined the profile of the vulnerable groups, their relations with institutions and NGOs and promising foreign experience and practices applicable in the Bulgarian environment. A Concept for More Effective Civic Participation in the Assistance to Vulnerable Groups was developed, proposing further practical steps. The four memoranda (Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of domestic violence victims; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of victims of human trafficking; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of persons deprived of their liberty; Co-operation between institutions and NGOs in improving the status of persons seeking international protection and other vulnerable foreigners) contain specific recommendations to institutions, working with the vulnerable groups, based on the Concept and the opinions of various state authorities and civil society representatives.

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Background report: Policies on drugs in Bulgarian prisons

Author(s): Dimitar Markov,Maria Doichinova,Lyubomira Derelieva / Language(s): English

This report provides a snapshot of the situation of drug users in Bulgaria. As it is aimed to serve as a basis for comparative study on policies and practice towards drug users, particularly in prisons, in Bulgaria and Norway, it presents the country’s context – general information on the country and its criminal justice system, policy and legislation on drugs explaining what are the perimeters of drug restriction and what are the national policies towards drug use. This information is illustrated with statistics on crime rates and drug crime in particular. The report also investigates how court looks upon the fact that the accused are using or addicted to narcotic substances within the criminal proceedings and specifically on the type and the term of the sentence. Finally, it looks upon the sanctions available for drug users and their situation once sentenced to imprisonment – what treatment, rehabilitation and harm reduction programmes are available in different prisons.

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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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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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Политически брифинг № 61 на CSD: Употребяващите наркотици в затвора: опитът на Норвегия и предизвикателствата пред България

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

For all criminal offences related to drugs, even for possession of small quantities intended for personal use, the main sanction according to Bulgarian criminal law is imprisonment. Unlike in Norway, non-custodial penalties in Bulgaria such as probation have extremely limited scope of application for drug-related offences. At the same time, other alternatives to imprisonment are virtually non-existent.

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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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MANUEL SUR LES GROUPES DE DÉTENUS VULNÉRABLES

Author(s): Alejandro Forero Cuéllar,María Celeste Tortosa,Klaus Dreckmann,Dimitar Markov,Maria Doichinova / Language(s): French

In prison, certain groups of inmates are subject to disadvantages due to specifics of their origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, etc. These groups usually need special treatment, which is not always provided, which leads to unequal treatment and violation of their rights. This handbook examines the situation of such vulnerable groups within the prison systems of Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania and Spain. Starting from the classification of the UN Handbook on Prisoners with special needs and looking at the different national contexts, the authors identify different groups as vulnerable in different countries. In order to encompass as many groups as possible, their list was extended to include some particularly marginalised groups, such as sex offenders, prisoners with disabilities, etc. Each group is viewed in context, explaining the situations of vulnerability both generally and in the selected countries. From one side, the handbook presents the efforts for compensation of vulnerabilities in every country available in the legislation or provided by prison authorities or other actors. From the other side, it identifies the gaps in the measures and practices, which vary both from country to country and from group to group.

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Háttal Európának. A kultúra, az oktatás, a tudomány és a média leépítése Magyarországon 2010-2019

Author(s): / Language(s): Hungarian

This report has been prepared by independent Hungarian intellectuals who wish to inform the Hungarian and international public as well as European institutions about the severe harm that the Orbán regime governing Hungary since 2010 has caused in the fields of education, science, culture, and the media. The reason for preparing the present report is that the acts of the successive Orbán governments consistently run counter to and consciously violate the fundamental principles, values, and norms of the European Union, not only as regards the rule of law and political and social rights, but also in the case of the cultural areas discussed here. In Hungary, important European values are being jeopardised, including cultural diversity, scientific and artistic autonomy, the respect for human dignity, access to education and culture, conditions for social mobility, the integration of disadvantaged social groups, the protection of cultural heritage, and the right to balanced information, as well as democratic norms like ensuring social dialogue, transparency and subsidiarity. By presenting the activities of the Orbán regime in the fields of culture, education, research, and the media, we provide information about areas little known to the international public. With our report, we wish to draw attention to the fact that an autocratic system has been constructed and consolidated in Hungary with the money of EU taxpayers and with the financial and political support of EU institutions. This system creates a worrying democratic deficit and severe social problems, while it also causes irreparable harm in the fields of education, science, and culture. The authors of the report are leading researchers, lecturers, and acknowledged experts, including several academicians, professors, heads of departments, and a former Minister of Culture. The undertaking was initiated and coordinated by the Hungarian Network of Academics

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Drawing the Links to Human Rights and Investing in People

Author(s): Maja Bjeloš,Marija Pavlović / Language(s): English

Cybercrime and cybersecurity have become critical issues in Serbia, reflecting a global trend of increasing cyber threats. In 2020, Serbia experienced approximately 26 million significant cyberattacks, including unauthorized data collection and intrusions into ICT systems. Citizens also faced severe violations of privacy, an uptick in attacks on human rights defenders, and challenges related to emerging technologies like biometric surveillance. Public concerns highlight the risk of these technologies being misused against citizens amid democratic backsliding. Recent incidents, such as internet fraud targeting major institutions and a cyberattack on Serbia's cadastre, underscore the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures. Despite advances in the legal framework—anchored by the 2016 Law on Information Security and aligned with EU standards—implementation lags behind the evolving threats. Serbia’s cybersecurity landscape includes provisions for protecting critical infrastructure and digital networks while addressing cybercrime through international conventions like the Budapest Convention. The Belgrade Centre for Security Policy conducted a baseline analysis and interviews with stakeholders in early 2022 to evaluate the effectiveness of Serbia’s institutional and legal response to cybersecurity challenges. Although the country has made significant progress in legislative development, the enforcement of these measures remains insufficient to address the growing complexity of cyber threats. The report emphasizes the necessity for the state to uphold human rights and the rule of law while enhancing its capacity to combat cybersecurity risks effectively.

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