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Daniela Ilieva, Dragomir Iliev
THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL HETEROGENEITY ON THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS
Summary:
After sixty years of integration, the idea of a united Europe has been put to the test. The purpose of this article is to put to discussion the degree of integration achievable between the member states. European Union integration which has been achieved so far is evaluated in the light of the three schools for regional integration: neoliberal models, the dirigiste school and structuralism. A new division of integration forms is proposed: technical and substantial integration. Technical integration is exogenous in nature and refers to the objects of integration, while substantial integration is endogenous and refers to the subjects of integration. The article focuses on cultural differences in the EU as a factor underlying substantial integration.
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Milena Kovachevich
ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE EUROZONE AND ON THE BALKANS: A COINTEGRATION ANALYSIS
Summary:
The global financial and economic crisis of 2008 and in particular the ensuing debt crisis in the euro area in 2009 affected both the economic growth in the euro area and the economic growth in almost all Central and Eastern European countries, including, although to a lesser degree, the Balkan countries. This lower degree of interdependence between most of the Balkan economies and the Eurozone countries is exactly the reason for this study, which aims to determine whether there is a long-term relationship between the economies of the Balkan countries and the Eurozone in general through a co-integration analysis.
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Nikolay Andreev
An Integrated Approach in the Study of the Evolution
of the Stabilisation Policy of the European Union
Summary:
Studying the evolution of European Union's stabilisation policy is a difficult task that requires certain focusing. In a broad sense, stabilisation policy can be defined as a set of measures taken by the government and implemented by certain bodies and mechanisms to overcome problems of the economy or to restore its equilibrium. Of course, processes ongoing at global, regional, and national levels in the economic system should also be taken into account in determining the instruments of the stabilisation policy. For the European Union in particular, the stabilisation instruments in its development are expressed in changes both in the strategic and in the structural and the institutional aspects and the evolution of the stabilisation policy can be characterized as distinct periods of development.
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Kalina L. Durova
Cohesion Policy of the European Union: Evolution, Challenges
and Prospects
Summary:
The article analyzes the historical development of the Cohesion (Regional) Policy of the European Union and outlines the main challenges and perspectives facing it. Recommendations are formulated for its improvement in the future.
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Yordan Neykov
Issues Facing the European Union – a SWOT Analysis
Summary:
The new realities facing the European Union at the beginning of the XXI century placed it in an unpredictable situation of crisis, geopolitical conflict and overindebtedness. These conditions slowed the pace of development and led in fact to the economic slowdown in the European Union - with modest GDP growth in 2013 and low inflation. The European Union has been facing a number of internal difficulties and many threats from the external environment. For this reason there is a need for analysis that takes into account both the internal state of the European Union and the external environment which was characterised by high complexity and dynamics in the period 2008 - 2014.
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Dudar Volodimir
Development of the Market for Food Products from Ukraine’s Agricultural Sector
Summary:
The article analyses the development of markets for food products from the Ukraine agricultural sector and the degree of its dependence on imports of food products. The article also outlines the main areas for activating international economic activities and realization of export potential of Ukraine’s agricultural sector specializing in food production. The author advocates the necessity of deepening the processes of integration with main international markets of agricultural food products.
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Tanya Gorcheva
Reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy and Benefits to Bulgaria
Summary:
The paper deals with issues related to the evolution of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union (CAP) and the process of reforms the policy has been undergoing. It also provides a retrospective analysis in order to outline both favourable and adverse aspects of the impact which CAP has had on the development of the agricultural sector in Europe in general and in Bulgaria in particular. It is thus possible to highlight the benefits which our country could gain from those reforms by taking into consideration changes in existing regulations and the implementation of related policy instruments. The paper also reviews what was achieved in our country in the 2007-2013 programme period in result of implementing the CAP. Finally, it outlines expectations related to Bulgarian agriculture for the next programme period in terms of the changes introduced into that policy by the European Commission.
