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Nikolay Ninov
Long-term Care – the New Social Risk in Europe
Summary:
The ageing of population, changes in the family model, and increased number of women-players on the labour market, as well as changing values and attitudes towards informal delivery of services are the new variables which are becoming a major challenge to the adequacy of European social systems. Until recently, the question as to whose responsibility it is to take care of dependent elderly persons has had a straightforward answer – the family; therefore the problem was not in the focus of attention of politicians or governments. The current situation is totally different and due to the trends towards an increase in the number of people in need of care, the reduced number of available caretakers, and the ever growing public and private expenditure on social services, the issue has now turned from private into a public one to all EU member states. Therefore, long-term care of elderly people has been labeled as ‘a new social risk’.
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Yulia Nedelcheva
ECONOMIC ASPECTS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AGE
INEQUALITY IN THE NEW REALITY
Summary:
The aim of article is to present the contemporary development of society and related economic inequality. Emphasis is placed on age inequality due to its economic aspects and characteristics. The main focus of the article is on the new reality of economic slowdown and its adverse effect on another contemporary trend – the growing number of retired persons.
The results of the study identified a trend which is similar across most EU member states - population aging and inequality of the retired people. Unlike the other member states, old-age inequality in Bulgaria is affected by additional factors, such as the ongoing economic transition, social reforms, and European integration processes.
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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.
