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The article discusses the connection between the theory and practice of economic integration and some observed structural changes in the global economy. This study derives a new typology of integration agreements and proposes a new, expanded theoretical framework for economic integration, including a new "three-dimensional" understanding of integration and reflecting participation and engagement in integration processes as a new instrument of international trade policy. In conclusion, some questions are posed related to the need for a new geo-economic paradigm for understanding and analysing processes in the global economy.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided that the Swedish National Bank Prize for Excellence in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel for 2020 will be awarded to Paul Milgram and Robert Wilson "for improvements in auction theory and the creation of new auction formats". Paul R. Milgram1 was born in 1948 in Detroit, USA. He received his Ph.D. in 1979 from Stanford University in Cambridge, USA, on the topic of information structure in competitive bidding. He is currently a professor in the Department of Economics and the School of Business at the same university. Doctor Honoris Causa, Stockholm School of Economics (2001).

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2019 Swedish National Bank Prize for Excellence in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Abhijit Banerjee, Esther Duflo and Michael Kremer "for their experimental approach to tackling global poverty". Abhijit Banerjee1 was born in 1961 in Mumbai, India. He defended his PhD thesis on "Reflections on Information Economics" in 1988 at Harvard University, USA.

The impact of Bulgaria's accession to the EU and that of the Global financial crisis are assessed through an analysis of the changes in the country's international trade for the period 2004-2016. Firstly, the general trends in the dynamics of the country's trade flows in terms of value and volume are summarized, and then, the economy's dependence on international trade is assessed. The study then presents an analysis of the direction of Bulgarian trade, including a comparison of the share of its intra-EU trade to that of the EU as a whole and to that of the Central and Eastern European countries. The changes in the commodity structure of trade are discussed by analyzing the share of primary and manufactured products and an index of the terms of trade is calculated in order to assess the trade benefits of Bulgaria's post-crisis international trade relations. Based on the conclusions reached as a result of the analysis, recommendations are made regarding the opportunities in the field of Bulgaria's international trade policy.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Swedish National Bank Prize for Excellence in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel to Richard Thaler "for his contributions to behavioural economics". Richard Thaler1 was born on 12 September 1945 in East Orange, New Jersey, USA. He defended his doctoral thesis on 'How much does it cost to save a life: a market valuation' in 1974 at the University of Rochester, USA.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Swedish National Bank Prize for Excellence in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel to Oliver Hart and Bengt Holmström "for their contributions to contract theory". Oliver Hart was born on 9 October 1949 in London, UK. He received his PhD in 1974 from Princeton University, USA.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Swedish National Bank Prize for Excellence in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel to Angus Deaton for his "analysis of consumption, poverty and welfare". Angus Deaton was a British and American citizen, born in 1945 in Edinburgh, UK. He received his PhD in 1975 from Cambridge University in the field of consumer demand patterns in Britain.

The paper analyses the dynamics of trade flows and the trends in trade patterns of intraregional trade of African countries and regional economic communities. The study presents the main import and export destinations both in inter- and intraregional terms thus outlining the trends in African countries' and Regional economic communities' export and import for the period 2003- 2012 and trying to draw some conclusions on the realization of potential benefits of integration.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Swedish National Bank Prize for Excellence in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel to Jean Tirole for his "analysis of market power and regulation". Jean Tirole was a French national born in 1953 in Troyes. He received his PhD in 1978 in the field of discrete mathematics from the University Dauphin, Paris. He is professor of economics at the Capitole University of Toulouse.

The EU has one of the strongest competition protection systems in the world, which also applies to non-EU companies operating on the Single market. The new structural challenges faced by the EU competition policy require a reassessment of its role in transforming European industry and addressing new issues arising from the specifics of the digital economy. In addition, the pandemic crisis also requires an answer. The article firstly discusses the importance of the competition policy for the effective functioning of the Single market. Then, based on the study of several cases, some structural challenges to the EU competition policy are outlined. An attempt has been made to summarize the new challenges related to the pandemic crisis, digitalization and the green transition, systematizing the new measures related to them.

International trade, and in particular TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Partnership Agreement between the EU and the US, has recently become a hotly debated policy field in the EU, juxtaposing a coalition of EU institutions and the corporate sector against a large coalition of civil society organizations. TTIP stands out as the prime example of new generation free trade agreements aiming at deep economic integration. Besides tariff elimination, its primary aim is to focus on a very comprehensive set of regulatory issues and rules, with a view to dismantling and harmonizing these in areas such as agriculture, food safety, product and technical standards, sectoral regulations in services, the protection of intellectual property rights, and government procurement. In addition, investment liberalization and protection are central issues, with the proposed investor-to-state-dispute-settlement mechanism (ISDS) being particularly controversial.

Along with the dynamic transformations associated with the failure of multilateralism, changes in global demand patterns, the return to protectionism and the integration of emerging economies into global markets, global trade is undergoing dynamic changes related to the search for greater economic efficiency through the use of global value chains. These trends have an impact on both trade and production specialization, and the demand for different types of skills, thus enabling greater profits, but also posing new challenges for trade policy. The main trends in trade and specialization and the development of global value chains are traced, then the changing nature of international specialization and the relationship between trade policy, trade and specialization are analyzed. Lastly, an assessment of the future development of global trade and global value chains is presented and several scenarios for trade and specialization by 2060 are summarized.

For years, a number of researchers have questioned whether there is an implicit impulse for protectionism hidden behind the tariff and non-tariff liberalization clauses put forward in all new EU agreements, as well as in the Union's participation in various formats of multilateral trade negotiations. On the other hand, the introduction of protectionist measures implemented by many countries around the world is increasingly being observed. In order to summarize and clarify these trends in the development and restructuring of the global trade system and the EU's place in it, the article first summarizes some insights from economic theory and empirical research on free trade and protectionism, then it examines the pre-pandemic trade barriers vis-à-vis the EU, and finally it assesses the "new framework" of bilateral and multilateral preferential trade agreements in the EU trade policy.

The focus is placed on one of the fastest developing industries in the Bulgarian Economy – outsourcing. The main aim is to analyse the existence, strength and features of the relationship between some specific characteristics of outsourcing management and work satisfaction and motivation through an empirical study conducted in one of the leading IT outsourcing companies in Bulgaria. The main characteristics of outsourcing in Bulgaria are summarised, after which the empirical study and its results are presented in order to draw some specific and some more general conclusions.