The aim of this paper is to establish and clarify the relationship between corruption level and development among European Union countries. Out of the estimated model in this paper one can conclude that the level of corruption can explain capital abundance differences among European Union countries. Also, explanatory power of corruption is higher in explaining economic development than in explaining capital abundance, meaning stronger relationship between corruption level and economic development than between corruption level and capital abundance. There is no doubt that reducing corruption would be beneficial for all countries. Since corruption is a wrongdoing, the rule of law enforcement is of utmost importance. However, root causes of corruption, namely the institutional and social environment: recruiting civil servants on a merit basis, salaries in public sector competitive to the ones in private sector, the role of international institutions in the fight against corruption, and some other corruption characteristics are very important to analyze in order to find effective ways to fight corruption. Further research should go into this direction.
Social entrepreneurs create value. Global problems such as poverty have been heightened by the economic crisis lately and continue to affect the lives of many people all over the world and bring a great deal of interest to the social economy. Social entrepreneurship is an important determinant of the social economy and describes a set of exceptional behaviors. This paper analyzes the notion, perception, and degree of social-economic development with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship in the selected countries of the European Union and Croatia. The analysis encompasses the concept and development of selected older members of the European Union and relies on post-socialist countries at the same time as the newest members of the European Union. By analyzing the facts it is trying to prove that the social economy and social entrepreneurship are more developed and more fragmented in the older and more developed countries of the European Union. Further evidence of this fact is the level of employment in the social economy in the European Union, where the post-socialist countries lag behind the more developed countries of the European Union. ; Društveni poduzetnici stvaraju vrijednost. Globalni problemi poput siromaštva u posljednje su vrijeme intenzivirani uslijed gospodarske krize te i dalje imaju velik utjecaj na život mnogih ljudi diljem svijeta i predstavljaju velik interes društvenoj ekonomiji. Društveno poduzetništvo je važna odrednica društvene ekonomije i opisuje skup iznimnih ponašanja. Ovaj rad analizira pojam, percepciju i stupanj društveno-gospodarskog razvoja s naglaskom na društveno poduzetništvo u odabranim zemljama Europske unije i u Hrvatskoj. Analiza obuhvaća koncept i razvoj odabranih starijih članica Europske unije i oslanja se na postsocijalističke zemlje, kao najmlađe članice Europske unije. Analiziranjem činjenica članak pokušava dokazati da su društvena ekonomija i društveno poduzetništvo razvijeniji i rascjepkaniji u starijim i razvijenijim zemljama članicama Europske unije. Dodatni dokaz ...
Osnovni cilj Europske Unije je promicati mir, stabilnost i gospodarski razvoj u državama zapadnog Balkana, a posljedično i integriranje ovih zemalja u EU. Danas Crna Gora, Srbija, Sjeverna Makedonija i Albanija imaju status zemlje kandidata za ulazak u EU, a Bosna i Hercegovina i Kosovo status zemlje potencijalnog kandidata. Najizgledniji ulazak u Europsku Uniju u bliskoj budućnosti imaju Srbija i Crna Gora koje su napravile već veliki iskorak na svom pristupnom putu, dok druge zemlje također teže bržoj integraciji. Među mnoštvom problema s kojima su suočene, prije svega lošim susjedskim odnosima, uzrok sporog integracijskog procesa leži i u tome što domaće političke elite teško pronalaze kompromis između onoga što Europska Unija zahtjeva od svake države kandidatkinje i onogo što očekuje domaća javnost. Ipak, politika širenja EU-a nalazi se u osnovi nastanka i razvoja EU-a, pa u bliskoj budućnosti možemo vjerovati da će zemlje zapadnog Balkana vremenom integrirati u Europsku Uniju. ; The main goal of the European Union is to promote peace, stability and economic development in the countries of Western Balkans , and consecutively, integration of the aforementioned countries into the EU. Today, Montenegro, Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania have the status for future membership of the EU while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo have the status of potential candidates. Serbia and Montenegro have already made a major leap forwards on their access path, have the best prospects for entering the EU in the near future, with the other countries also striving towards a faster integration. Amongst a myriad of problems they're facing, first and foremost being bad relations with neighbouring countries, the cause for a slow integration process lies also in the fact that domestic political elites find it hard to compromise between what the EU demands of each candidate country and what domestic public expects. However, the EU expansion policy is in the heart of its origin and development. Therefore, it is likely that the ...
Osnovni cilj Europske Unije je promicati mir, stabilnost i gospodarski razvoj u državama zapadnog Balkana, a posljedično i integriranje ovih zemalja u EU. Danas Crna Gora, Srbija, Sjeverna Makedonija i Albanija imaju status zemlje kandidata za ulazak u EU, a Bosna i Hercegovina i Kosovo status zemlje potencijalnog kandidata. Najizgledniji ulazak u Europsku Uniju u bliskoj budućnosti imaju Srbija i Crna Gora koje su napravile već veliki iskorak na svom pristupnom putu, dok druge zemlje također teže bržoj integraciji. Među mnoštvom problema s kojima su suočene, prije svega lošim susjedskim odnosima, uzrok sporog integracijskog procesa leži i u tome što domaće političke elite teško pronalaze kompromis između onoga što Europska Unija zahtjeva od svake države kandidatkinje i onogo što očekuje domaća javnost. Ipak, politika širenja EU-a nalazi se u osnovi nastanka i razvoja EU-a, pa u bliskoj budućnosti možemo vjerovati da će zemlje zapadnog Balkana vremenom integrirati u Europsku Uniju. ; The main goal of the European Union is to promote peace, stability and economic development in the countries of Western Balkans , and consecutively, integration of the aforementioned countries into the EU. Today, Montenegro, Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania have the status for future membership of the EU while Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo have the status of potential candidates. Serbia and Montenegro have already made a major leap forwards on their access path, have the best prospects for entering the EU in the near future, with the other countries also striving towards a faster integration. Amongst a myriad of problems they're facing, first and foremost being bad relations with neighbouring countries, the cause for a slow integration process lies also in the fact that domestic political elites find it hard to compromise between what the EU demands of each candidate country and what domestic public expects. However, the EU expansion policy is in the heart of its origin and development. Therefore, it is likely that the Western Balkans countries will eventually enter the EU in the near future.
Vrhovne revizijske institucije kao promotori jačanja odgovornosti u javnom sektoru važan su čimbenik demokratskog društvenog poretka. Svoje aktivnosti provode u okviru ustava, zakona te u skladu sa Međunarodnim standardima vrhovnih revizijskih institucija. Provode financijske revizije, revizije učinkovitosti te usklađenosti. Vrhovne revizijske institucije svojim djelovanjem utječu na kvalitetu javne usluge te stvaraju dodanu vrijednost društvu. U ovome radu naglasak je na transparentnom radu vrhovnih revizijskih institucija. Objava informacija na službenim mrežnim stranicama, u godišnjem izvještaju o radu te prisutnost na društvenim mrežama predstavljaju modele komunikacije vrhovnih revizijskih institucija putem kojih iste svoj rad i ulogu predstavljaju parlamentu i javnosti. ; Supreme audit institutions as promoters of strengthening accountability in the public sector are an important factor in democratic society. They act in accordance with legal framework and International standards of supreme audit institutions. Supreme audit institutions conduct financial audit, performance and compliance audit in public sector. They influence on the quality of public services and create added value for the society. This paper emphasizes the principles of transparency of supreme audit institutions. Official websites of supreme audit institutions, annual activity reports (also published on official website) and social networks present the most common communication channels for presenting the work and the role of supreme audit institutions to the parliament and to the general public.
Konvergencija dohodaka je više od polovine veka predmet mnogih teorijskih i empirijskih istraživanja. Brojni istraživači su posvetili veliku pažnju ovom pitanju na koje, do sadašnjeg trenutka, ne postoji jasan odgovor, niti jedinstven rezultat. Iako je strana literatura bogata radovima čiji je predmet istraživanja konvergencija dohodaka među zemljama Evropske unije, kao i uticaj različitih faktora na konvergenciju dohodaka, u domaćoj literaturi ova oblast nije dovoljno istražena. Osim toga, još uvek je mali broj radova koji se bave ispitivanjem postojanja i brzine konvergencije dohodaka između zemalja Evropske unije i zemalja Zapadnog Balkana. S tim u vezi, predmet doktorske diseratcije je dohodovna konvergencija zemalja Zapadnog Balkana i članica Evropske unije u kontekstu evropske ekonomske integracije. Cilj istraživanja u doktorskoj disertaciji je da se pruži odgovor na pitanje da li postoji konvergencija dohodaka među zemljama Evropske unije. Takođe, cilj istraživanja je utvrđivanje razlike u brzini konvergencije dohodaka između razvijenih zemalja Evropske unije, s jedne strane, i Novih zemalja članica Evropske unije i zemalja Zapadnog Balkana, s druge strane. Pored toga, cilj istraživanja u doktorskoj disertaciji je i utvrđivanje faktora koji utiču na konvergenciju dohodaka. Rezultati empirijske analize pokazuju postojanje dohodovne konvergencije među zemljama Evropske unije. Osim toga, dokazano je da Nove zemlje članice Evropske unije i zemlje Zapadnog Balkana, s jedne strane, imaju bržu konvergenciju dohodaka od grupe razvijenih zemalja Evropske unije. Analizom smera i intenziteta delovanja različitih faktora na konvergenciju dohodaka, dobijeni su rezultati koji ukazuju na pozitivan uticaj bilateralne trgovine na dohodovnu konvergenciju, pozitivan uticaj stranih direktnih investicija na dohodovnu konvergenciju centralnoevropskih tranzicionih zemalja u pretkriznim godinama, kao i pozitivan uticaj prisutnosti ekonomskih sloboda u godinama posle Globalne ekonomske krize. Reformski procesi nisu pokazali snažan i kontinuiran uticaj na dohodovnu konvergenciju centralnoevropskih tranzicionih zemalja. ; Income convergence has been the subject of many theoretical and empirical research for more than half a century. Many researchers devoted great attention analyzing income convergence among countries. However, there is still no clear answer, nor a unique result about this topic. Although foreign literature has vast number of papers that examine income convergence among the European Union countries, as well as the effect of various factors on income convergence, this field has not been sufficiently explored in domestic literature. In addition, there is still a small number of papers that test the existence and speed of income convergence between the developed countries of the European Union and the Western Balkan States. In this regard, the subject of the doctoral dissertation is income convergence of the Western Balkan States and European Union member states in the context of European economic integration. The aim of the research in the doctoral dissertation is to determine the existence of income convergence among the European Union countries. Also, the aim of the research is to determine the difference in the speed of income convergence between developed countries of the European Union, on the one hand, and New Member States and Western Balkan States, on the other. In addition, the aim of the research is to determine factors that affect income convergence. The results of the empirical analysis show the existence of income convergence among European Union countries. The results also show higher speed of income convergence of Western Balkan States and New Member States, compared to developed European Union members, depending on the observed subperiod. By analyzing the direction and intensity of various factors on income convergence, results indicate positive impact of bilateral trade, positive impact of foreign direct investment in the pre-crisis years, and positive effect of presence of economic freedom in the years after Global economic crisis. Reform processes haven't shown a strong and continuous effect on income convergence of Central European transition countries.
The Lisbon Treaty has brought significant changes into the architecture of the European Union. The most important novelty, however, is the establishment of a full unity of the Union structure achieved by creating new and strengthening the existing elements. The new elements of this unity are the disappearance of the European Community, the 'independence' of the European Atomic Energy Community, constituting the European Union as a single entity and the introduction of EU values. At the same time, the Lisbon Treaty has strengthened the existing elements of the common institutional mechanisms, rules on amending the founding treaties and EU membership. However, constituting the Union as a single entity which has replaced and succeeded the European Communities has not abolished the EU elements of diversity. In the areas that differed, even before the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, from the community pillar, there remain significant differences in the nature and the scope of competences of the Union institutions. This mainly regards the common foreign and security policy, which now includes the defense policy, where the existing model of inter-state cooperation has been only slightly interfered with. In contrast, in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters, which has become part of a larger Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, the inter-state model of cooperation has been abandoned in some of its most important elements. However, the implementation of some of the important elements of the supranational model has been postponed.
