1811 research outputs found
Sort by
Regional Integration and Fiscal Harmonization in Southeast Europe
Get PDFThe establishment of free trade area in Southeast Europe on the basis of CEFTA 2006 as an isolated event is not likely to have a substantial positive effect on the economic development of the region. Recent strategic theoretical and empirical studies show that short-term economic implications of regional integration between developing countries in terms of growth and foreign direct investment are ambiguous. Macroeconomic and fiscal stabilization through coordinated efforts with respect to tax and customs harmonization can play more significant role in the economic stabilization in the SEE region than regional trade integration alone. The paper contains an analysis of the changes in trade between the SEE -6 countries and Bulgaria (current EU member state, former member of CEFTA and part of a free trade zone in SEE until the end of 2006) for the period 2006 till 2014.
One of the main conclusions of the paper is that a roadmap of the SEE countries for achieving sustainable growth is needed. The roadmap for sustainable growth can be the next step after the liberalization of trade towards achieving genuine regional economic integration in the Western Balkans in parallel with the process of EU accession
Spatial Planning in the Balkans between Transition, European Integration and Path-dependency
Get PDFThe proposed article aims at inquiring into the evolution of territorial governance and spatial planning systems of the Balkan region, since 1989. The first part sheds some light on the impact of the transition period and, in particular, on the consequences that the shift from a centralized economic and administrative model to a decentralized model based on free market rules had over spatial planning legislation and practice The second part focuses on European integration and on the Europeanization processes triggered by those policies undertaken by the EU during the pre-accession period, in relation to the different integration steps that the aforementioned countries had to go through. Finally, the last part explores more in details the role of the various actors that were/are involved in the process that led to the development of new spatial planning systems in the selected countries, their capability to influence the spatial planning systems’ patterns of change and the channels through which this influence was delivered
Sustainability Reporting Initiative in Balkans’ Higher Education Institutions: The Case of ECOSSS
Get PDFThe aim of this study is to define the content and the importance of the Sustainability Reporting, which is a non-financial reporting procedure, prepared by organizations in order to be more transparent and accountable by giving the necessary and reliable information for the decision making processes. It describes also the interdependency between non-financial and financial issues in today’s global environment. The research context is that of higher education. The method is based on a pilot case study for creating the Epoka Center of Service Systems Sustainability (ECOSSS). Because this is a pilot study, there are not actual results but only expected ones. The expected results of the center are: a) to provide the annual sustainability report of Epoka University that would affect directly the ranking, creditability and reporting experience of the University as a whole; b) to offer research, consultation, workshops and training programs.
The engagement in these programs and activities will indicate seriousness and influence on the rating decision of customers and investors by increasing the recognition, trust and creditability, efficiency of risk management, and value creation
Crimes against Environment in Albania and the European Union's Approach to the Protection of Environment through Criminal Law
Get PDFThe protection of environment is of particular importance for Albania in its integration process to the European Union (EU), which considers it to be one of the “essential objectives of the Community” as highlighted in the case-law of the European Court of Justice. Taking into consideration the requirements of the specific EU directives on the protection of environment through criminal law, one of the expected legal reforms in the approximation process will be the adaption of the Albanian substantive environmental criminal law to the requirements of the Environmental Crime Directives. The need for aligning the Albanian criminal law with these directives has been highlighted by the Commission in the 2014 Progress Report on Albania. This paper examines the Albanian substantive environmental criminal law and its application in practice in the last ten years, aiming to identify the main challenges it faces in the context of the required transposition of EU Environmental Crime Directives, while also making suggestions on how to better respond to these issues. For this purpose, the paper will also refer to the experience of other countries with the implementation process in this field, highlighting the main problems encountered and the impacts of the Environmental Crime Directives transposition
Goffman, Parsons, and the Negational Self
Get PDFErving Goffman’s emphasis on impression management in everyday life means that for the most part persons offer only partial or incomplete glimpses of themselves. Indeed, under specifiable conditions self-presentations may take the form of a negational self. If negational selves exist at the person or individual level, then they must also exist at the collective level (that is, if we are to take seriously such notions as the social mind, collective representations, or even culture). Understandings of how this negational self appears and is produced at various analytical levels (micro, meso, and macro) can be anchored via a conceptual schema which merges Goffman’s own identity typology with the three-world model of Jürgen Habermas by way of Talcott Parsons
Measurement and evaluation of the public administration performance through delivery of electronic services
Get PDFThe purpose of this paper concerns the relation between delivery of electronic services (e-services) and evaluation of public administration performance. Public sector organizations should pay attention and determine the strategies to be followed in order to increase the satisfaction of citizens and businesses in relation to delivery of electronic services. The study aims to review the demands toward progress to the competitiveness, the sustainability, efficiency and effectives in public administration that have rapidly enforced the wide reforms in the public sector, in order to modernize the initiatives to offer better electronic services for the citizens. The article aims to present that the transformation process toward providing electronic services to the citizens should be assessed continuously, in light with challenges, demands and process of globalization, in order to strengthen the capacities of public administration and make it more efficient. In this regard, the regular evaluation and measurement of the public administration performance leads toward the promotion of enhanced public services and higher level of accountability. Through receiving the e-services, citizens can save their time, can reduce the expenses and create an easier access of communication with all levels of the government
The Halo Effect as a Factor Influencing Membership Logics in Trade Associations and Chambers of Commerce in Albania
Get PDFThe study analyzes the halo effect as a factor influencing membership logics in trade associations and chambers of commerce in Albania and is based on interviews with several members and executives of trade associations and chambers of commerce active in Albania. This research shows that the halo effect is used (in some cases only in the first stages) by associations and chambers to increase their brand awareness. Moreover SME’s have the tendency to use it in the national terrain to develop their network, whereas corporates find it more useful while trying to expand their activity internationally.Epoka Universit
Limited Efficency of Civil Society during the Democratization Process of Albania
Get PDFThe present analysis is part of research on Albanian society after 1990 and their implications for democratic governance. This paper aims to identify the role of civil society on democratization process in Albania case. In a context marked by the goal of civil movements the principal aims are to examine how Civil Society in Albania is involved during the ‘transition’ and their limited influence on democratic governance building. The relationship between the concept of “civil society” and “democratization process” in Albania is viewed from three perspectives: a- in terms of the national, political and social contexts that conditioned the movement goals and strategies. b- in terms of previous efforts by non-elites to change social and political conditions and c- in terms of beings part of policy decision by protests. The features of Albanian civil society are also treated in this paper, followed by focusing on the debate: “Does the Civil Society function properly in Albania or not?” Normally, the function of Civil Society is to play an important and ‘tutoring’ role in building a democratic society. Analyzing civil society in Albania, one can easily note that the way civil society works, acts and cooperates with different factors as financial, human and technical, may affect negatively in this process, and the contribution of Civil Society to the democratization process was limited. For analytic purposes, the discussion is organized in two main parts. The first part, examines theoretical part and focusing on key issues that relate government, society, NGO on decision making to build a democratic governance. The second part examines Albanian civil society and its product during ‘transition’ in reference with the first normative part.Epoka Universit
Human Security in the EU External Policies: The case of Ukraine
Get PDFLately, in today’s world human security has become a very debated and controversial
topic. It emphasizes that the security of the individuals comes first and that it is more
important than states security. The focus and objective of this thesis is human
security: analysing the human security concept and also its role in the external policy
of the European Union (EU) framework. The human security concept is examined
specifically including also its definition and its origins as a new approach to security.
Moreover this thesis also compares it to the traditional concept of security where the
main goal is the security of the states; after the thesis also explores the two
dimensions of the human security.
Regarding the exploration of the EU policies conceptual framework, the thesis
analyses several relevant EU documents. The European Security Strategy, the
Barcelona Report and the Madrid Report are also analysed. Lastly this thesis
investigates through a focus on human security, the role of the EU in the Ukraine
crisis as well as the response to this crisis.
The main aim of this thesis is to provide a clear and significant view or analyse of the
concept of the human, its role in the EU context and also provide an analysis to the
recent Ukrainian crisis.Epoka Universit
What is the Impact of Savings on Growth? The Case of a Small Open Economy (Albania)
Get PDFDoes economic growth come as a result of increasing the saving rate of a country? Savings and Economic Growth are closely related to each other and this is why this relationship has been subject of studies for various economists through time. The aim of this study is to indicate the causal relationship that exists between savings and economic growth in Albania between the years 1992 and 2012 (after the fall of communism, during the long transition period of the country) by implementing the Johansen Co-integration Test. According to the empirical results is revealed that savings and economic growth are co-integrated, therefore showing the existence of a stable long-run equilibrium relationship. Moreover results of the study suggest that a positive relationship between savings and economic growth and the complementary role of FDI in growth. This implies that the government must pay special attention toward FDI policies in order to positively affect Economic Growth of the country.Epoka Universit