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Research background: Environmental policy becomes actual worldwide problem and globalization process is closely related with rising of environmental risks. To manage such process needs to accept preventive measurements, but also to apply financial mechanisms for remediation of possible environmental damages. Purpose of the article: Presented contribution is orientated to the evaluation of possible insurance of environmental risks. Methods: The main approach to research is analysis of environmental taxes in tax system of Slovakia, when data had been obtained from tax system SR. Findings & Value added: Analysis showed there are the so called normative means (orders, bans, directives, norms, regulations etc.), financial-economic means (environmental taxes and fees) and voluntary means (EMS, EMAS, and Environmental Labeling etc.). One of useable financial means is to prevent the appearance of environmental risks. Countries have different forms of environmental insurance. The developed economies have a wide spectrum of insurance products and different approaches of insurance of environmental risks contributing to the minimization of the consequences of environmental damages. Information from the contribution can be used as financial guarantee for potential polluters and in the field of environmental risks management, as well as providing of financial securities of the companies. The limitation of the research is difficulty to obtain data, especially in area of environmental risks insurance there is only small amount of historical data to evaluate the situation.

Research background: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in European economic. They are very important for the stability of national economy and for development of innovation. SMEs significantly contribute to innovation because they are under permanent pressure of competitors at the market. On the other hand, innovation in SMEs is hampered by many factors, such as lack of finance, lack of personnel, no experiences, insufficient public policy, etc. Purpose of the article: The main goal of the article is examining the impact of business size on innovation activity and thus confirm the irreplaceable importance of SMEs in the innovation ecosystem, compare innovation activity of Slovak SMEs with EU average. Methods: Several methods were used to achieve the goals. Demonstrating the close relationship between innovation and SMEs is realized through VOSviewer software. Comparison of innovation activity of Slovak SMEs with European Union average is realized through an in-depth analysis of selected indicators of Summary Innovation Index. Findings & Value added: SMEs are indeed the creator of innovation. Based on the results of bibliometric analysis, this fact can be confirmed. The innovation activity of SMEs in the Slovak Republic is below the EU average. This fact is caused by several limitation and problems that SMEs in the Slovakia have to face.

Abstract: Objectives: By the end of 2006, 32.9 million people in 111 countries had been placed under the protection scheme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Amongst these people, more than 10 million refugees were fleeing from wars and various conflicts. Few psychological studies (more particularly francophone-based ones) were conducted on the psychological health of asylum seekers among these populations having suffered many traumatisms (war, exile, etc.). The following study was undertaken with asylum seekers in reception centres in the Slovak Republic and its aim was to assess their psychological health and, amongst other aspects, to evaluate post-traumatic stress and depressive and anxiety disorders. Patients and methods: The following data was gathered from 40 asylum seekers who knowingly accepted to undergo a psychological examination including a clinical interview and three questionnaires of self-evaluation: the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Post-Traumatic Stress Questionnaire (PTSQ) and the Experimental Anamnestic Questionnaire. At completion of the interview, the psychologist filled in the Depression Evaluation Scale (MADRS), the Anxiety Appreciation Scale (HAS) and the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorders, major depressive episode and generalized anxiety. Results: This study highlighted the precarious state of psychological health and the substantial psychological co-morbidity of the population seeking asylum in the Slovak Republic. The results show a prevalence rate as important as 55% of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders, 75% of the participants were exposed to events of a traumatic nature. The prevalence rate is as high as 65% for major depressive episodes and 62.5% for generalized anxiety. Conclusions: The author underlined the major impact of the traumatisms these Europe-based asylum seekers have had to deal with (war traumatisms, flight, exile, etc.) in order to explain the importance of psychological health issues. Certain factors such as the isolation of individuals, not to mention the context of the asylum-seeking procedure and its restraints, become stressful events highly likely to cause psychological vulnerability. These factors represent a field to be explored in depth. The results of this study induce questions relating to the accessibility and to the adequacy of the psychological care proposed by the hosting structures. These queries fall within the framework of a larger questioning relative to potential complementary actions in the field of mental health. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]