In the 1980s, the causes, effects, and problems generated by increasing shadow economic activities were extensively and controversially discussed inmany countries, especially in theOECD. In the 1990s, attention was being drawn to the shadow economy because of dramatically rising unemployment (e.g., in the European Union) and the problems of financing public expenditure, as well as the rising an...

Cristiana Tudor∗ This study employs Enterprise Survey data to analyze business environment constraints and financing sources for investment for Romanian and Bulgarian companies at the end of 2009 and investigates the change in financing sources after the global financial crisis relative to a pre-crisis period (2005). The study also investigates whether the ownership structure of a firm affects ...

This paper addresses issues related to health care in the context of the debate about the typology of welfare state regimes and comparative studies conducted in reference to the debate. Particular attention has been paid to the phenomenon of decommodification as one of the key dimensions that define welfare regimes identified in the literature associated with this debate. The study presents a h...

2015 will be a defining year for the European Central Bank. It is expected to start buying up government bonds from member states from the end of January. This means the ECB is entering into significant risk and becoming dependent on the fiscal policy of the member states. As the example of Greece demonstrates, the central bank is thus making itself – along with other state creditors – vulnerab...

It is easy to become mesmerized by the slow drip of comments, speculations and politicking that accompanies the discussions on research funded by the European Union (EU). One might even be lured into believing that these are the important decisions. Unfortunately, all these activities focus only on the minute details of the European Commission’s (EC) funding instruments and delivery mechanisms,...

This paper tries to explain the declining level of public investment in OECD countries. The theoretical framework hints to the relevance of a number of demand and supply factors – ranging from the yield of public investment to institutions like the EU deficit limits. The econometric results indicate that the decline is largely due to two developments: First to the pile-up of public debt since t...

545 F ollowing the example set by the United States, nearly all nations of the European Union (EU) now accept that a sensible investment in basic research is required for the national economic good. Greek politicians, on the other hand, remain unshakeably convinced of the opposite. If they have their way, as from this year there will be no single source of money for research that does not requi...

The control of antibiotic resistance presents a complex and multifaceted challenge. Professional societies, governments and international agencies, including the WHO, have identified a strategy that emphasizes the importance of microbiological surveillance, monitoring antibiotic use, prudent prescribing, education of healthcare professionals and the public and encouraging the development of new...

The construction of railway infrastructure should be dealt with as a national strategic development programme, which — due to technical, geographical, logistical, and other requirements — is carried out through a number of projects and represents a complex multiple project operation for investors, contractors, and other influential players. The national strategic development programme for the c...

This paper tries to explain the declining level of public investment in OECD countries by taking account of political and economic driving forces. The theoretical framework hints to the relevance of a number of demand and supply factors – ranging from the yield of public investment to institutions like the EU deficit limits of the Stability and Growth Pact. The econometric results indicate that...