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The article discusses collateral security and the proposed establishment of a Capital Market Union for all 28 Member States of the European Union (EU) as of 2015, and it mentions the content of the European Commission's Green Paper entitled "Building a Capital Markets Union." EU law and collateralisation are mentioned, as well as the harmonisation of legislation and rules. Conflicts of laws, financing for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Europe, and change are examined.

Recent reforms in the Croatian national educational system due to the Republic of Croatia’s accession to the European Union have as one focus to raise the level of critical thinking required by students. An important component of national education is the high stakes matriculation or ‘matura’ examinations. A study was made of biology examinations in both the countries of Australia and the Republic of Croatia. The comparison aimed to determine the level of critical thinking demanded based on the questions in the examination. This analysis of examination questions relied on the presumption of consequential validity of high stakes examinations; matriculation papers, where, if demanded by the examination, students will adopt certain skills, in this case, critical thinking. A hierarchical critical thinking taxonomy was subsequently developed based on similar taxonomies in existing literature to research the questions in the matriculation examination papers of biology in Australia and the Republic of Croatia respectively. The examination questions were classified according to this taxonomy and the results are displayed according to the level of critical thinking demanded in these examination papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the development potential of bioeconomy in Romania, in the context of European Union membership. The paper presents the concept of bioeconomy and an overview of the documents referring to the bioeconomy sector in the European Union and in Romania. Many European Union countries, including Romania, emphasize the importance of bioeconomy in many official documents, but they have not developed a complex strategy for this sector. Romania has one of the largest agricultural sectors in Europe and a strong chemical industry. These sectors, together with the food industry, wood processing, pulp and paper industry can contribute to the development of bioeconomy in Romania, creating high value-added and environmentally friendly products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a reprint of the article "Is European Multiculturalism a Paper Tiger?," by Seyla Benhabib, that was published in the magazine "Global Agenda." It discusses several conflicts between institutional principles and cultural identity within European Union (EU) member-states and their borders as they move to form a closer union. It is noted herein that Turkey's accession to membership is among all the intractable problems that the EU has been facing.

In order to assess the successes and failures of Bosnia and Herzegovina's (BiH) challenging road towards a fully functional democratic state aiming at membership in the European Union (EU), this paper examines the state-building process in BiH, and the transition from the post-Dayton political development, the work of the interim, ad-hoc political institution of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in BiH, as well as the justification - if any - of its future existence and operation. Guided by the coordination dilemma, the research question of this paper is a reflection on the challenges of self-enforcing democratic institutions and how the OHR substitutes for it. This paper claims that the original purpose of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) was to create a powerful yet limited institution of the OHR, one that is to be given sufficient power to institute behaviour, but is prevented from abusing its power. However, this purpose deviated in the years that followed the signing of the DPA, creating and institution which doings resemble liberal imperialism. The hypothesis of the paper is that the OHR has been abusing its power and that it is time to close it because it is no more a substitute for the self-enforcing democratic institutions. This paper claims that the problem of political officials' lack of respect for the political and economic rights of citizens they administer, as investigated by Weingast, is one of the central features of the operation of the OHR in BiH. The novelty of the paper lies in the attempt to test if OHR could be a case that could serve as a very good field to test Weingast's model (1997). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enlargement of the European Union in 2004 marked a significant milestone in the history of European integration, bringing ten new member states into the Union. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the economic impact of this enlargement two decades later. Drawing from the economic literature and descriptive analysis, the paper examines both anticipated benefits and realised outcomes. Preceding the enlargement, ex ante analyses projected substantial gains in GDP, trade integration and welfare for both acceding and existing member countries. These expectations were largely met. At the macroeconomic level, the paper shows a significant reduction in trade costs, enhanced trade integration and deepening participation in cross-border value chains within the Single Market. Some challenges remain, however, in terms of social and territorial cohesion in these countries. The lessons learned from this enlargement underscore the continuous nature of integration, beginning with accession preparation and producing tangible effects throughout the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of foreign aid in the Western Balkans countries' economic growth between 2009 and 2021. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a panel data approach to examine the effects of foreign aid on economic growth in the region and incorporates a random-effects model to accommodate the unique cross-country variations and time-specific factors, as well as a pooled OLS and fixed-effects model for a comprehensive, comparative analysis. Findings: The in-depth regression analysis shows that foreign aid has not had a significant impact on the economic growth of the region. Further evidence suggests that trade openness exhibited a significant positive correlation with economic growth, while gross capital formation, although positively associated, did not significantly impact it, indicating the complexity of its role in the region's economies. Practical implications: The analysis presented in this study has significant practical implications, particularly for policymakers in the Western Balkans. Given the region's ambitions for European Union membership and the challenges of high unemployment and inflation, understanding the role of foreign aid is crucial. Originality/value: This research provides a unique contribution to the field of development economics by examining foreign aid effectiveness within the context of a region often overlooked in the literature. The analysis also offers fresh insights into the complex dynamics of foreign aid and its implications for policy and development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corruption represents one of the most widespread phenomena worldwide, which has devastating effects on state institutions and society. As such, this phenomenon represents a real challenge to deal with it. This paper explores the importance of anti-corruption efforts of Republic of North Macedonia as a prerequisite for EU integration and the challenges this country faces in this process. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the recent events in the judicial and the political scene which greatly affect the country's efforts in the fight against corruption. In this study, a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods are used. In the quantitative phase, data will be collected from various sources, including official reports and surveys Additionally, a legal analysis is conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of anticorruption measures enacted by the legislator. The findings reveal a concerning interference of politics in the functioning of the judiciary, which negatively affects the country's path towards EU membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The further enlargement of the European Union is in a critical phase due to the changed political circumstances both internally in the EU member states, but also in the geopolitical context. The experiences from the past cycles of enlargement, both positive and negative, motivated some of the member states and the European institutions to revise the process of the European integration of the candidate countries, primarily the accession negotiations as a central part of the process, by setting the Rule of Law as a fundamental and most important criterion for the accession. The Rule of Law is set as a crosscutting issue in the new revised Methodology for the accession negotiations, adopted in 2020. It is part of the first cluster “Fundamentals” with which the accession negotiations start and end. The paper analyzes the current situation and challenges in the area of the Rule of Law in North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania, all of them candidate countries from the region of the Western Balkans, following the 2024 Rule-of-Law Report prepared by the European Commission that included beside the member states, also the mentioned candidate countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Montenegro restored its national independence in 2006, and in the 17 years since then, the country has made significant progress in digital transformation, which is especially important for its accession to the European Union. In this paper, this period of 17 years of Montenegrin digital transformation is reviewed. The work aims to provide comprehensive coverage of the digitization processes across all relevant sectors, including healthcare, education, telecommunications and internet, personal and public transportation, tourism, agriculture, energy and sustainability, and public administration. The human-centric nature of digitization is emphasized where relevant, as well as related future trends. This paper also highlights barriers and limitations, such as the lack of consideration for cooperative intelligent transportation systems in national strategies, and user-related issues in digital public administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reflecting on twenty years of Cyprus's EU membership, this paper aims to provide an account of the rationale for its accession to the EU and the euro area, and an assessment of their benefits. The argument made in the paper is that although it was security rather than economic considerations that accounted for Cyprus's EU accession, the latter also came with certain financial benefits. Moreover, while Cyprus's accession to the single currency was motivated by its desire to be part of the hard core of the European unification project, its euro area participation was to stand Cyprus in good stead in its hour of need, during the Cypriot sovereign debt crisis of 2012-2013. The paper also explores whether the unprecedented accession of a divided country to the EU may provide a source of inspiration for future enlargements, where sui generis circumstances prevail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enlargement policy of the European Union from 2013 to 2022 was not only ineffective, but also lacked an active enlargement drive. Russia's war in Ukraine changed the equation of costs and benefits in favour of new members and gave the EU a geopolitical incentive to restart enlargement. Enlargement is not only a geopolitical strategy, however: it also requires successful state-building efforts in the neighbourhood. Moreover, it is closely interlinked with the EU's internal development. This article analyses the current evolution of the EU enlargement policy as it emerges from the interplay of geopolitics, state-building challenges, and the EU's internal dynamics. Drawing on original interviews with officials, the paper also presents three scenarios for the coming decade. The paper concludes that to achieve its foreign policy objectives in the neighbourhood, the EU cannot continue 'business as usual' with enlargement. On the contrary, the policy of 2013–2022 needs to be replaced by a more effective model that encourages candidate countries to undertake genuine efforts towards democratic development. At the same time, reforms and compromises are required at the EU's end. Finally, the EU needs to better address the security needs of the applicant countries already during the accession process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its accession to the European Union, Romania has been working to strengthen its support for area-based approaches in local development, including the implementation of the LEADER approach. This has been made possible through increased financial support and the establishment of Local Action Groups (LAGs) throughout the country. The growing number of LAGs in Romania indicates an increasing recognition of the importance of bottomup approaches and local empowerment. LAGs serve as platforms for collaboration and coordination among various stakeholders, including local authorities, civil society organizations, and businesses. They enable communities to take ownership of their development processes and design strategies that are tailored to their specific contexts. This paper presents a comparative analysis of LEADER programme implementation in Romania in two programming periods (2007 - 2013 and 2014 - 2020), from the point of view of territorial distribution of funds, type of projects and beneficiaries, using choropleth maps with data at NUTS3 and LAU2 level. The results of the analysis show a modification of the behaviour of public and private beneficiaries, willing to involve their own funds in the realization of their projects, and the LAGs maturity in financing innovative projects and projects that develop existing businesses. The article proposes future research of LEADER impact at national and regional levels from the social return perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia's attack on Ukraine is a watershed moment that forced the EU to confront its weaknesses and reshuffle its priorities. In this context, the war brought back at the top of the EU's agenda the enlargement process. In light of these developments, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of the war on the EU's enlargement process and to demonstrate that enlargement policy has acquired a greater geopolitical value than ever before. The paper begins with a historical overview of the challenges that have defined the enlargement process and have led to a deadlock, demonstrating that the war can provide impetus for the revival of the stagnant enlargement process. The discussion proceeds, in turn, to the pros and cons of further expansion of the EU. A pro-enlargement position is adopted, arguing that enlargement is a valuable tool for the transformation of the Union into a real geopolitical actor. Finally, the paper builds upon the previous analysis and proposes ways of adjusting the enlargement process to the new challenges created by the war. To conclude, the paper argues that Russia's aggression can reinvigorate the enlargement process, which in turn can strengthen the EU's role on the geopolitical chessboard. The stakes are too high and the EU cannot afford to lose the momentum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the political landscape of war-torn Ukraine, focusing on the country's core domestic problems. The war in Ukraine has led to a significant deterioration of Ukraine's political landscape. While victory on the battlefield is Ukraine's utmost priority, escalating internal problems pose additional challenges. With Ukraine having obtained EU candidate status, these problems have moved to a new level on the EU's membership agenda. The most urgent of these is endemic corruption, which has gained fresh momentum during the war and has put foreign aid at risk. As the costs of the war grow, international pressure on the Ukrainian authorities to show better results increases. Accountability and transparency should become the guiding principles of the reconstruction and recovery processes to maintain Western support and ensure effective postwar reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper 2 2 This paper was supported by the PRIN project n.2022CZKPMY entitled "Health and Wellbeing of the Elderly", funded by the MUR. we explore the impact of the 2007 European Union enlargement to Romania and Bulgaria on the mental health of documented immigrants from these countries who arrived in Italy before 2007. Using data from a unique administrative data set for the Italian Lombardy region and by employing a difference-in-differences individual fixed effect estimator, we find that this enlargement caused a significant improvement in the mental health of young male immigrants. To shed light on the mechanisms behind these results, we use data from a unique survey administered in the Lombardy region and show that the enlargement mitigates sources of health concerns and increases income and employment stability through permanent job contracts for young male immigrants. Overall, these findings suggest that enhanced labour market conditions due to enlargement may lead to a subsequent important decrease in psychological distress among immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU relations with its eastern neighbours have been pursued with the goal of building a 'ring of friends' contributing towards security and stability-building, through reforms' implementation and the development of closer relations. This transformative agenda met, however, some criticism and resistance from Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries. Russia's full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 changed profoundly the setting for these relations, including the accession requests coming from Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, along with the cut off of relations with Russia and Belarus. The implied debordering and rebordering dynamics taking place show the complexity of material and symbolic bordering practices. Through a critical border studies approach, this paper seeks to unpack these bordering dynamics and how they are reconfiguring the European space, arguing the EU has become locus of resistance for countries such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia assuring their European identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building a ‘rule of law based’-democracy is a challenge for post-communist and post-war societies. Rule of law is a priority for these societies and it is very often prescribed as a membership criteria required by international organizations, such as the European Union. As such an aspiring country, Kosovo is faced with the challenge of building a legal system compatible with that of the European Union member states, but also of developing legal cooperation with other countries. This paper will analyze the process of Europeanisation of the legal system of Kosovo and presents a dynamic impact of the European Institutions and Missions in Kosovo which were introduced and operate despite the fact that Kosovo officially is not recognized by EU institutions and all EU member states. As such, the paper will focus on analyzing the legal treatment and sui generis relations between EU and Kosovo, especially during the UNMIK time, with EULEX mission, of the unique singing modalities and content of SAA, Office of Specialist Chambers of Prosecutors and Judges and including the recommendations for legal cooperation in certain circumstances during the fulfillment of the above mentioned obligations and integration process. The main question addressed in this article is how the EU has influenced the rule of law in Kosovo. In doing so the paper will observe the results of that influence that are sui genres as well as how the EU-Kosovo cooperation has helped keeping the integration process and research strategies for the further cooperation going. This hypothesis will be tested by measuring the inclusion and application of the main European standards in cooperation with the third states. Additionally, comparative methods will be used in finding similarities and differences with other cases. Kosovo faces many challenges in international cooperation, not only with regard to those missions operating in Kosovo itself (such as EULEX, CE, EUO etc.), but also with EU as an organization, especially due to Kosovo’s lack of membership in EU. Another challenge faced is the cooperation with EU countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo as a state. This paper emphasizes the efforts of Kosovo’s institutions beyond regular means, in order to conduct EU-Kosovo cooperation as one of the prerequisites for building the democracy based on rule of law. The main issues tackled in this paper are how these problems are addressed in practice, which are the obstacles arising, what are the ad hoc means of conducting such cooperation and what are the specificities and perspectives of EU-Kosovo cooperation. As such the paper aims at breaking down some of the legal peculiarities and uncertainties that have been created throughout the years as result of limitations to the international personality, aimed at ensuring that there is a cooperation with EU and non-recognizer countries through other ‘innovative’ means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The last EU Financial Perspective for 2014-2020 as well as the approaching 20th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the European Union create an opportunity for recapitulation of Poland’s use of structural funds in both of these periods. Design/methodology/approach: The objective of the paper involves a preliminary analysis and assessment of the areas of assistance as well as the instruments supporting the improvement of personnel qualifications in a regional economy on the example of the West Pomeranian Province. The assessment concerns the implementation of the Regional Operational Programme for the West Pomeranian Province in the period of 2014-2020 (ROP WP). The paper is one of a series of papers, constituting a recapitulation of the experience that Poland and its regions have had so far in benefiting from the EU structural funds. Findings: The article presents an analysis of the contents of strategic and programme documents of national and regional scope, and in particular of the Partnership Agreement and the ROP WP for 2014-2020. The evaluation of the aid granted for the improvement of qualifications of the West Pomeranian Province personnel was based on an analysis of competition documentation as well as the results of project evaluations conducted by the Managing Authority of the ROP WP 2014-2020. Originality/value: The article contains a preliminary analysis and assessment of the main areas of support and instruments supporting the development of human resources in the regional economy on the example of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in 2014-2020. It is addressed to entities and scientists dealing with programming and management, supporting the improvement of the quality of human resources in the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina started in 1992 and lasted until 1995, where Serbian and Croatian aggressors had an objective of dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina into geographical parts which would result in strengthening territorial capacities of the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Serbia. Aggression on Ukraine started in 2022 when Russia launched a large-scale invasion by Russian president Putin's decision to authorize the so called special military operations in Ukraine. The similarities between these two wars are the invasion of a neighboring country with the aim of territorial annexation from a smaller country and the path of those smaller, invaded countries, towards NATO and the European Union. This paper will analyze the similarities between mentioned aggressions and how it affects the NATO and EU membership in detail. Additionally, the paper will elaborate the impact of the international community in these events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

North Macedonia has been at the doorstep of the European Union since the initial 2003 Western Balkans summit in Thessaloniki, Greece. Although this milestone has reached the 20-year mark, the road to full membership into the European Union seems all the more difficult and challenging for the small mountainous Western Balkans state. For North Macedonia, the obstacles which provide context to the seemingly endless road to EU integration and possible membership, range from domestic shortcomings to historical, cultural and political predicaments with neighbors. In this paper, we will aim to analyze the case of North Macedonia, including the internal and external obstacles in its path to EU integration and propose possible resolutions and outcomes for the case and the seemingly never-ending journey towards membership status in the European Union. In this context, we will utilize EU commission reports and their key findings with regards to North Macedonia as well as recent social, political and economic developments in the country. In order to depict the case thoroughly, the first part of the paper will cover the historical development and background in relation to the EU integration, the second and third parts will cover the most recent developments and main obstacles in North Macedonia's path in both an internal and external context, and in the conclusion, we will provide a summary of the immediate concerns of North Macedonia in its path to EU integration and the possible trajectories for resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the convergence of tax systems in Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs) over the period 1995–2018. Due to the increasing impact of tax competition, we have focused on income taxes, in particular, corporate ones. We have identified the factors that influence the taxation system and trends in income taxation in the CEECs by adapting the hidden Markov model approach. We find that many CEECs have reduced income taxation in the analysis period, mainly by lowering tax rates. Corporate income taxes have also decreased in many CEECs in the same period; however, the reverse has been observed too. Both convergence and divergence have been identified among the CEECs over the period considered. The speed of these processes based on the used variables varied depending on both exogenous and endogenous factors. These factors have been diagnosed as being specific to the periods of tax reforms, i.e., before and after accession to the European Union (EU) and the global financial crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Western Balkan states are on the path toward European Union (EU) membership. Before they become full members, they will have to fulfil certain criteria to assimilate into the EU and achieve convergence. In this paper, the authors aim to investigate whether the states converge toward the EU-27+1 after the 2008/2009 financial crisis. To do so, the relationship between the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita growth rate and selected macroeconomic variables is econometrically tested using ordinary least squares (OLS) semilog regression based on cross-sectional data for the 2004-2018 period and three subperiods: 2004-2008, 2009-2013, and 2014-2018. The subdivision is made to test the effects of the 2008/2009 financial crisis on the convergence process. The empirical results show that poorer economies grow faster than richer economies. The convergence rates range between 1.6% and 4.3%. The negative effects of the crisis have been identified only for absolute convergence. This research demonstrates that the conditional conver-gence process is faster, indicating that the countries differ in their structures. The results imply that Western Balkan countries should open their economies to more trade, as this has a positive impact on per capita growth, while the inflation rate, unemployment rate, general government debt, and level of corruption should be decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public debt and its development are key questions of public sector economics and fiscal policy. This paper uses the Synthetic Control Method to study how different large-scale steps of European integration and the establishment of the EU fiscal framework have affected government debt in EU Member States. The results point to a notable debt-restricting effect of EU membership and the introduction of the Stability and Growth Pact for a large majority of the studied country groupings as well as for individual countries. Outside of a few individual countries, the actual government debt levels are substantially lower than in the synthetic alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why did Serbia not impose sanctions against Russia following its aggression on Ukraine in February 2022? As a state seeking membership of the European Union (EU), Serbia's reluctance to join the sanction regime is puzzling. This paper draws from the ontological security literature to show how Serbia, as a political community, is divided between East and West, that is, between a vicarious attachment to Moscow and a relationship with Brussels driven primarily by the prospect of joining the benefits of membership of the EU. The problem of sanctions brought to the fore the conflicted identity of Serbia, showing how Belgrade's hedging in foreign policy reflects not only an attempt to extract concessions and advantages from both partners – the EU and Russia – but more fundamentally its efforts to come to terms with its liminal, ontologically insecure position within the international system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the United Kingdom's referendum on European Union (EU) membership in 2016, a new political cleavage of Remainers and Leavers has developed (Kelley, N. [2019]. British social attitudes survey: Britain's shifting identities and attitudes. (36). National Centre for Research). This paper explores how five pro-Brexit newspapers discursively construct political division in Britain in relation to two key events in the final year of Britain's EU membership: the extension of the withdrawal process past the original date of March, and the introduction of the Benn Act in September. The paper reveals two primary discursive constructions of division in Britain: a divide between incompetent and arrogant political officials and an innocent, suffering public, and an identity cleavage between pro-Remain 'elites' and 'ordinary' Leave-voting citizens. The study argues that the construction of these divisions threatens a collective national identity in Britain at a time when it is most required. It concludes that by apportioning blame for socio-political divisions, the newspapers obfuscate their role in contributing to disunity in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the major challenges for the present European Commission, starting with Brexit and ending with issues such as EU Eastern Enlargement from today's perspectives, trying to explain why it is difficult to talk about enlargement in a fragmented European Union. How will the European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations evolve in the actual mandate of the European Commission? Did the European Commission succeed in offering Eastern states the opportunity to join the European Union by developing instruments encouraging states to meet the accession criteria? A qualitative analysis will be used to highlight the novelty elements analyzed by the proposed theme; the author uses a study case using as research instruments discourse and content analysis. Therefore, the main objective of this research paper is to highlight how the European leaders' discourse on a possible enlargement of the European Union has evolved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the temporalities of EU investments into Southeast European (SEE) roads. Road construction and maintenance and related institutional frameworks, regulation, and project planning signify different modes of infrastructural time. Roads carry narratives of development and progress, but they also confront visions of desired futures with ruins of forgotten pasts. Promises of infrastructural potential intersect with project cycles, financial flows, and construction timelines, and work delays and material malfunctions. As such, infrastructures are a productive entry point to understanding how Europeanisation works through different temporalizing practices and techniques. The paper maps complex temporalities and temporal politics that shape infrastructural development and showcases how Europeanisation works also outside of promises of linear progress to EU membership on the one hand and corresponding classifications of absent futures on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to compare the relative technical efficiency of agriculture in Western Balkan countries to those of the European Union and to propose ways to improve the position of Western Balkan countries. The group of Western Balkan countries includes Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania, which are candidate countries for European Union membership, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is currently a potential candidate. An input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis model with the variable return to scale was applied to an 11-year period from 2006 to 2016. Input variables used in the model included labour, land, and capital, and the output was presented as the value of agricultural production. The highest average technical efficiency was achieved by the EU15 countries for the entire eleven-year period, while the Western Balkan countries had the lowest score. The source of this inefficiency was identified in lower levels of agricultural performance, e.g. a lower-level use of the primary production factors - labour and land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the relationship between energy consumption and green GDP as increased energy consumption could cause an increase in GDP. In order to evaluate how and to what extent the increase in energy consumption affects the size and movement of the green GDP, the aim of this paper is to confirm the existence of a strong link between energy consumption and green GDP. Having a large number of papers linking energy consumption and GDP, through this paper, we want to emphasize an even greater role of green GDP in energy consumption by linking the impact of the consumption of different energy sources with the movements in green GDP. Namely, how much different energy sources affect the gap between green GDP and GDP. Within the empirical analysis, we use a panel cointegration technique to examine long-term relationships among integrated variables. The data analyzed in this model cover 36 countries for the period from 2008 to 2016. These 36 countries include the EU28 countries and potential candidates for accession in the European Union. The results of our analysis follow the theory as we found that an increase in energy consumption causes an increase in GDP, hence the green GDP. However, the second part of the analysis suggests that an increase in consumption of energy in sectors that are environmentally more damaging emphasize the gap between the GDP and green GDP, but that an increase in more environmentally cleaner energy consumption curtails that gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The main goal of the paper is to define the level of energy efficiency in the economies of selected countries in the Balkan region that have opted for the EU Green Deal, a circular economy, and a transition to carbon neutrality. Energy efficiency, as a determinant of carbon neutrality, was selected as an indicator for analysis because it records particularly unfavorable indicators in the region under observation. The research was carried out on a sample of seven Balkan countries and their surrounding areas. An initial qualitative analysis was followed by a quantitative analysis based on a combination of statistical methods and soft computing. Six indicators were selected for the analysis covering a period of 30 years (1990–2020). Results: A significant obstacle to the green transition and the region's transition to a circular economy and carbon neutrality is energy efficiency and energy related pollution—the reliance of most countries on coal-fired thermal power plants for electricity generation. The research results showed the following: (a) the degree of economic development and membership in the European Union are not significantly related to the level of energy efficiency; (b) most of the sampled countries are in the initial stages of introducing activities to achieve carbon neutrality; and (c) only Slovenia has documented consistent indicators and evident advancements in its efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. Based on the research findings, proposals for improvements were made in the direction of policymaking and in a methodological sense. Conclusions: The implementation of circularity and carbon neutrality as a long-term goal of the European Union is not necessarily related to the level of economic development, nor can its trajectory be exclusively ascertained by means of data processing and monitoring. A more precise understanding of a carbon-neutral future can be achieved through the incorporation of qualitative data to a greater extent, a realistic evaluation of historical facts and their repercussions, as well as projections of the effects that reality and global developments after 2022 will have on each country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to achieve a centralization of educational units with a specific focus on the trend of student enrolled in different forms of education versus the number of graduates since 1990. The importance of this article is given both by the historical context of this period, being characterized by the fall of the communist regime and the start of the reform processes in all fields, including education, following that from 2007, with Romania's accession to the European Union, the education system should benefit the implementation of funding programs from the European Social Fund (ESF), placing more emphasis on education in rural areas in Romania. It was also aimed at analyzing the results recorded in reducing educational gaps between rural and urban environments, as well as the impact on the socio-economic development of rural communities. In conclusion, recommendations will be proposed to optimize the efficiency of the implementation of ESF financing programs, for the purpose of rural education and supporting sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the eastern enlargement of the European Union (EU), the movement from east to west has become the main driver of intra-EU mobility. Recently, the free movement of labour has been contested not only in the debates around Brexit, but also in other receiving countries. It is not on the political agenda, but several studies have highlighted the economic and demographic effects of massive emigration in eastern EU Member States. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the functioning of free movement. Economic integration theory assumes that migration continues until wages are equalized in the receiving and sending countries. This paper analyses the perception of intra-EU mobility in the literature and empirically tests whether there is a relationship between the dynamism of income growth in the receiving (Germany, Austria and Spain) and sending (Central and Eastern European) countries, and the dynamism of migration. The empirical results do not support the neoclassical assumption that an equalization mechanism can function, even in the long run. To cope with recent challenges, this paper argues that free movement should not be considered as an element of a spontaneous market mechanism, but as an economic-political product, based on a constitutional order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to study through a comprehensive set of socioeconomic indicators the regional level of well-being achieved in Romania, and monitor the improvements and disparities in well-being after a decade of accession to the European Union. Design/methodology/approach: A dashboard of 20 socioeconomic indicators for measuring nine dimensions of well-being for Romanian counties is proposed. Using the Adjusted Mazziotta-Pareto method are built composite indicators, which allow us to assess the trend of overall welfare scores for each county. The data are collected at the county level, for 42 counties, and each year from 2006 to 2017, from administrative sources. Findings: The overall well-being index has an increasing trend for all counties, but the growth rate varies from one county to another. The economic factors, geographic location and share of the urban population matter. For most counties, the evolution of well-being scores is below that recorded at the country level. Romania has registered significant improvements in health, housing, income and access to public utilities dimensions. The counties are ranked by level of well-being. Some empirical measures suggest a slight tendency of socioeconomic disparities to increase over time. Originality/value: The paper attempts to fill some gaps in measuring the level and disparities of welfare in a fast-growing emerging economy. The Romanian regional context is to a lesser extent explored in a multidimensional approach, from spatial and temporal points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Using President Joe Biden's opinion article published in The Washington Post ahead of the June 14, 2021 NATO Summit as a point of departure, the present paper examines how NATO members fare in terms of the core constituent elements of liberal democracy such as civil liberties and freedom of expression. To this effect, the paper uses three indices constructed and published by the Varieties of Democracy project. The Liberal democracy, Civil liberties and Freedom of expression indices. The results from club convergence analysis that covers the post-Cold War period, indicate the presence of different convergence clubs among NATO's member-states and Turkey as the single divergent country. Moreover, given that many NATO countries are also EU members, the paper examines the comparative effect the dual NATO and EU membership had on the democratisation process of East European countries and Turkey. The findings suggest a statistically stronger impact of EU membership vis-à-vis NATO membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at exploring the significance of green skills in the European labour market, highlighting their importance for workers in various occupations and fields of the European economy. The European labour market has undergone several significant changes over the past decade as a result of the increased demand for sustainable practices and the need for a green transition. New strategies and policies have lavishly evolved to address the challenges related to climate change and environmental decay. The concept of green skills has thus emerged, referring to the skills, knowledge and competences required for working in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. In this context, this paper analyses specific aspects of the economic, environmental, and social impact of green skills from the point of view of an increasing demand for green skills in various occupations. It finally examines the benefits of having a well-trained workforce equipped with green skills as well as the level of responsiveness for certain EU member states towards the need to address existential challenges of the green transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we address the issues of the countries of the Western Balkans related to the accession to the European Union. We focus on areas to which we have so far had the opportunity to obtain information on the countries belonging to the Western Balkans region. In our paper, we aim to introduce the region of the Western Balkans in more detail and look at the arguments that support the integration of countries into the EU. For the European Union, but also for the countries of the Western Balkans, to point out what enlargement policy is like and what the benefits are. From a methodological point of view, we classify the paper among qualitative research, using a descriptive, comparative and analytical method. As part of enlargement policy, it can be seen that this policy is constantly changing. It can be said that nothing is more permanent than change, which brings with it benefits as well as certain challenges and benefits, which we want to point out in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present paper is to make an analysis of agro-tourism activity development in Dobrogea - a historical province from Romania's South-East extremity, in order to identify the main trends and changes in the period after Romania's accession to the European Union, using official empirical data and specific indicators: agro-tourism offer in terms of number of agro-tourism boarding houses (they refer only to accommodation in standardized tourist units) and number of places/beds in use (number places-days) in this type of accommodation units; agro-tourism demand in terms of number of tourist overnight stays in the agro-tourism boarding houses; the net utilization index of the agro-tourism boarding houses capacity. The whole volume of information presented in this paper was obtained from national statistics, from governmental and non-governmental sources, as well as from articles and studies published in specialized journals. The results showed that the agro-tourism offers were among the most preferred destination, as most tourists feel safer here and agro-tourism boarding houses services are more and more attractive. However, the agro-tourism potential in Dobrogea should be much better exploited, the demand/offer ratio should be in balance, the agro-tourism boarding houses destinations should be more intensively promoted and service quality should be improved in order to increase the agro-tourism flow and attractiveness of this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there have been numerous academic and policy debates on the delivery mechanisms of European Union (EU) funds in member states. Studies focused on issues arising, for instance, during the management and implementation of EU aid at the local level but devoted less attention to the economic and institutional impact of EU funds. To what extent do EU funds act as drivers of socio-economic development and institutional change? Theoretically, this paper contributes to debates about economic convergence and the institutional spillover effects generated by EU aid across national and local settings. Empirically, the paper evaluates the impact of EU aid in Bulgaria and Romania after a decade of EU membership. Firstly, the paper examines a mix of quantitative indicators and secondary sources on the socio-economic impact of EU funds in the two countries. Secondly, using original qualitative evidence, the paper assesses the spillover effects of EU aid on domestic institutions and stakeholders, policies and practices. Finally, the paper provides an analysis of the unintended domestic consequences triggered by EU funds. It contributes to growing debates on the impact of European aid and suggests potential avenues for policy development and for further academic research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to explore the short-term dynamics of price and income import demand elasticities in the case of Hungary. Research data encompass the time period from 1996Q1 to 2018Q3. Using a relatively novel approach of T.V.P. (time-varying parameters) this paper gives further insight into the short-term dynamics of Hungarian imports. Income import demand elasticity was found to be significant and mostly positive while price effect was time-dependent and bidirectional rendering itself non-significant in the final state. Furthermore, Hungary's accession to European Union was not significantly influencing import demand patterns with other European Union members. These findings add new information to the body of knowledge regarding import trade elasticities of transition countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Proceedings of the Faculty of Economics in East Sarajevo / Zbornik Radova Ekonomskog Fakulteta u Istočnom Sarajevu is the property of University of East Sarajevo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the position of minorities in Kosovo in the light of Kosovo's potential candidacy as a member state of the European Union (EU). The paper contends that although the international community has constructed a comprehensive suite of protections and guarantees for minorities, nation-building by internal actors in Kosovo has followed an exclusively ethnocentric dominant narrative, running counter to the state-building project, which promotes a multiethnic Kosovo. The paper considers this dichotomy in the context of Kosovo's Europeanization. It is concluded that the conditionality principle is not sufficiently defined or measurable in order to set criteria relating to the inclusion or exclusion of minorities in Kosovo to significantly influence decisions on EU membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconsiders the relationship between individual wages and regional market access. We focus on Poland – a country that has experienced profound changes in market accessibility over the last two decades, first as a consequence of European Union accession in 2004, and second as a result of the unprecedented development of the major road transport network. Using data over the period 2000–15 we find that the positive relationship between wages and regional market access disappears after 2004. At the same time, individual wages begin to be positively correlated with the market potential of Poland's main trading partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]