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The article deals with the contradictory effect of civil society and civility discourses for the theory ofmodern democracy. The author concentrates on observed two main theoretical approaches towards the role andposition of civil society in new democracies. Following the cautious optimism of "neotocquevillians" thetransition from undemocratic regime to the democracy was influenced of universal and global spread ofdemocracy. In the transitional period civil society comes into play as the guarantee for consolidatingdemocracy. Scientists skeptics don't share this view and not consider civil society as the panacea buildingdemocracy.Civility can be described as an ethos of citizens conduct, necessary condition for real democracy. Socialcapital theory inspired discussion on the influence of "republican virtues" upon the modern democracy.However, the more important question is what type of civil society promotes democracy.The manifestations of civility discourse complicated the creation of liberal democracy at the initial stage ofpostcommunist transformations in East and Central European countries. Seeking more authentic reflection ofmodern democracy in their own country Lithuanian social scientists should: 1) discard all the uncriticalapproaches to the Western models of civil society; 2) propose the original decision while trying to solve thedilemma of modern democracy, because the one suggested by L. Siedentop is hardly applicable for societieswhich lack the liberal hinge.

The article deals with influence of modern innovations on enterprises competitiveness. The different concepts of competition, from D. Ricardo and H. Adams up to M. Porter and Kim Chan and R. Mouborgne are analysed. The results of comparative analysis are provided in table 1. Different models of competition and competitiveness are analyzed. There is stressed that very important role plays M. Porters' 5 market forces, Diamod and Dubble diamond models and latest modifications made in the model. Some drawbacks of competitiveness models from K. Lancaster up to A. Rugman and latest authors as well as the author are submitted in table 2. The weakness of the Diamond model discovered and modification of Diamond model is made by incorporating the innovation in the model as it is proposed in picture 1. The importance of innovations for competition of enterprises is disclosed. The definitions of innovation and competitiveness of different authors are submitted. Innovation as risky process in competition from J. Shumpeterian economic view to innovation up to P. Drucker and McMeekin and D. Soutterton commercionalization as well as EU innovation policy are analyzed. Short analysis of Lithuania's position in the EU economy on innovation is made. The G. Brennan's optimistic idea on innovations at recession period that innovation could be a chance for companies to leapfrog their competition is stressed. Some data from Fray's analysis demonstrating the idea mentioned are provided in the article. According to Ch. Frey, founder and editor of Innovation tools, innovation climate has improved in 47,5 % of companies, and only for 25,9 % of respondents – has worsened at recession. But because the customers even at recession tend to the innovative, reasonably priced and hyped-up products and because the markets at recession are tightened, it is good time to invest in research and renew the products, processes, structure and management as main elements of competitiveness, as it has been recommended by Lisbon strategy. The impact of main areas ...

Innovations play a significant role in surviving in economic and marketgames. However the innovation is not self-sufficient tool for response of all futurechallenges and needs. It requires potential for new knowledge generation, adaptationand commercialization, and support of government. Therefore the article presents aconceptual analysis of the relationship between innovation and entrepreneurship,with the main focus being on the business sector, highlighting the role of governmentpolicy in the promotion of innovation through entrepreneurship.It is said that the dimension of innovation is at the core of entrepreneurship, butat the same time these concepts still often are defined singly. The concept of entrepreneurshipis often wrongly explained, just as business activity or establishment ofnew enterprises without focus on innovation. In this respect, there is a suggestion toadopt the concept of innovative entrepreneurship as the new direction for developmentof innovation through entrepreneurship.

Growing consumption of goods, production and usage of various chemicals influence the amount of different hazardous waste (HW) flows. Society is increasingly facing the problem how to treat and where to dispose of waste in environmentally sound, and economically efficient way, also taking into account a social aspect.Waste management is one of the principal pollution problems in many countries, and its control has so far not been addressed in a sustainable analysis. Each year in the European Union alone people throw away 1.3 billion tons of waste, 40 million tons of which being hazardous. HW generally constitutes about 1% of the total waste amount generated in Europe; nevertheless, it presents a serious risk to the ecosystem and human health if not managed and treated properly. Several EU countries report HW treatment rates over 40%, the others export a large of portion of HW. Recently, lots of efforts having been put into proper HW identification, treatment, recycling, storage, transportation and/or disposal, this issue is still hot among the governments of the EU.In spite of the fact that all European Union legal requirements concerning HW management are transferred to Member States legal framework, there are still a number of problems concerning inefficiency of an HW management system and Lithuania is not the exception. The total amount of waste generated in 2008 in Lithuania is about 7.8 million tons; about 145 thousand tons are considered as HW. While the incineration plant and landfill for HW is not built, HW is temporarily stored, processed, exported or managed in the companies which have the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) permits. It aims to manage HW in a more environmentally friendly way. However, the current HW management is not developed on an integrated approach, which allows to evaluate the environmental impact throughout the life cycle and to use cost-effective HW management processes, and all available technical and technological capabilities. The legal system determines the main HW ...

In the public sector, the decision-making process is multidimensional. Themethodological framework for all decision-making theories is the rationalisttradition, according to which mankind is inherently rational and seeks to maximizeits goals. The proponents of the main decision-making theories—the rationalcomprehensivetheory, the incremental theory and the mixed scanning theory—seekto argue in favour of their postulated values and the approaches to avoidunnecessary risks of the decision-making process. Those theories are aimed atpromoting innovative solutions in the new public management environment. Toimprove the decision-making process, it is necessary to improve the management ofinformation flows which would allow an accurate and objective information analysisby distorting the information necessary for decision-making.

The paradox in the formation of Union citizenship is that, on the one hand, its list of rights is primarily relevant for migrants and – again apart from the parliamentary permit - largely resembles the elements of enhanced denizen ship many member states had introduced before for their settled immigrants, but, on the other hand, its definition of the population to whom these rights apply excludes third country aliens, i.e. the great majority of migrants living in the territory of the Union. Union citizenship, first introduced in the Maastricht Treaty, confers a broad range of rights on national of the member states, including rights of movement, political rights, protection in non-EU states, and rights to petition. The relationship to national citizenship was clarified in the Treaty of Amsterdam: Union Citizenship is meant to supplement, not supplant, national citizenship. The European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, signed and proclaimed in Nice December 2000, laid out the range of civil, political, economic and social rights conferred both to Union Citizens and other persons resident in the EU.The Treaty of Lisbon, which was signed in Lisbon on 13 December 2007 and amends the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European Community, sought in particular to reinforce the democratic fabric of the European Union. One of its major innovations is to introduce the European citizens' initiative. It provides that "not less than one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of Member States may take the initiative of inviting the Commission, within the framework of its powers, to submit any appropriate proposal on matters where citizens consider that a legal act of the Union is required for the purpose of implementing the Treaties". It also provides that the procedures and conditions required for such a citizens' initiative, including the minimum number of Member States from which citizens must come, shall be determined in a Regulation to be adopted by the European Parliament and ...

The paper deals with the problems of tax coordination and perspectives during and after financial crisis. As we see the 2008 financial crisis is the worst economic crisis. Great Depression of 1929 was financial crisis which know all world financers and we can compare these days financial crisis with 1929 financial crisis. Thr 2008 financial crisis has been characterised by a rapid credit expansion, high risk-taking and exacerbated financial leverage and credit crunch when the bubble burst. In particular, it reviews the existing evidence on the links between taxes and many characteristics of the crisis. Finally, it examines some possible future tax options to prevent such crises.This financial and economic crisis presents major challenges for tax administration. With the economic downturn, tax agencies are encountering growing compliance risks and greater demands for taxpayer support in the face of prospective budget cuts. This paper examines these challenges and sets out a strategy and measures for responding to them. Theoretical and empirical studies suggest that an economic downturn tends to worsen taxpayer compliance in important aspects. While a drop in compliance may have some countercyclical effects on the economy, tolerating noncompliance is not an appropriate response to the crisis because it is distortionary, inequitable, and, perhaps most importantly, hampers the rebuilding of tax bases over the medium-term.The crisis therefore presents the financial authorities – central banks, regulators and finance ministries – with two challenges:The first and most urgent is to design short-term policies so as to at least limit the adverse impact of deleveraging and deflation on the real economy. We cannot make that impact nil, but we do know how to avoid the policy mistakes which turned the initial problems of 1929-30 into the Great Depression. Fiscal and monetary policies need to be carefully designed, and – as we approach a zero interest rate and consider quantitative easing options – need to be increasingly coordinated. And ...

The key objective of the Long -Term Development Strategy of the Republic of Lithuania, as formulated in this Strategy is to create an environment for the development of the state's material and spiritual welfare that is generally described as knowledge-society, secure society and competetive society. While implementing these objectives it is crucial to do the best in order the country's quality of life would rise.Recently, in the European Union considerable attention has been devoted to the enhancement of social solidarity. An importance of social solidarity has already been emphasized in the Lisbon Strategy. If there is no social solidarity, the fields of social tension inevitably occur. Quality of life makes a rather considerable influence on the assurance of social solidarity. Consequently, an investigation of the quality of life proves to be an unquestionably topical issue.The quality of life to a large extent depends on the country's economical and social state. Nevertheless, at the current societal development stage, it also depends on the implementation and mastering of the new technologies, information and knowledge society development. Modern information and communication technologies and, first of all, the global computer network Internet has created preconditions and conditions to establish the information society. Further development of information and communication technologies is unquestionably directly affecting the development of information society, and at the same time makes a considerable contribution to the development of the country's or region's economy, is directly making a strong impact on it. At the same time it is also indirectly affecting the quality of life.This paper aims at analysing of the indices that characterise the quality of life and the indices that characterise the development of information society – for Lithuania and separate countries of various development level. At the same token, dynamics of these indices, their objective growth for Lithuania and objective dynamics for ...

As rates of economic growth change rapidly and changes of the whole of social needs as well as technologicaldevelopment in various countries have to be taken into consideration, it is extremely importantin the 21st century to pay adequate attention to the formulation and implementation of culture policy,as one of the most unique and difficult to manage areas of public policy, by evaluating various practices,comparing methods of culture policy administration in different states and by analyzing culture programmesand projects. Culture programmes and projects are not only a purposeful instrumentation in the policyimplementation processes but also possibility to ensure dispersion of the democracy principle whichcreates alternative conditions to everyone who corresponds criteria of the state support and files claim forappropriate solution of cultural problems to not only gain neccesary support in realizing one's ideas butalso facilitate the mission of culture policy implementation, which is of national importance. Culture programmeand project management is being related to purposeful control and coordination of the cultureprogramme formation, where goals of national strategies in a specific country as individuality of regionalcultural needs have to be taken into consideration as well as the best world practices are to be adopted.Programmes and organizations that support various cultural areas or culture projects provide undeniableinput into formation and implementation of Lithuanian culture policy. Regulations of the EU structuralfunds do not distinguish culture as a separate investment priority. That is why the ministry of culture ofthe Republic of Lithuania is not an intermediary institution assimilating financial resources of the structuralfunds, which makes it more complicated to use the financial resources of the funds for culture financingpurposes. The purpose of this article is to analyze the system of culture programmes and project managementby refering to the analysis and characterization of the state ...