Issue 4, 2013

The impact of the clusters on the regional sustainable development is analysed in order to evaluate the alternative approaches and policies to enhance the competitiveness of the regions and to improve the local socio-economic standard of life and social cohesion. The paper discusses the strategic framework of public policies that support regional specialisation and clusters. The methodology applied is based on the SWOT analysis of cluster, M. Porter’s diamond of competitive advantages evaluation and the public choice theoretical framework for setting the tasks of clusters development.
The ongoing reform of the EU Regional Policies is evaluated on the basis of empirical analysis of the implications for Bulgaria and the new member states after their EU accession as regards public sector’s financial accountabilities, institutional building and socio-economic sustainability of regions. The article indicated that еvolutions in regional policy, science and technology policy and industrial/enterprise policy are in demand to serve the objective of supporting clusters at the regional level.

JEL: F21; G18; O43

The article discusses the main trends in the dynamics of Bulgaria’s export and the changes in its structure as a result of the crisis that spread after 2008. The period which is observed can be divided in three different time intervals. The first encompasses the years from the beginning of the new millennium until 2008 and is associated primarily with the process of integration and a strengthening of Bulgaria’s trade relations with the EU. In the second time interval the country started to feel the initial effect of the global financial and economic crisis of 2008-2009, expressed most obviously in the collapse of foreign trade. The article focuses on the third period which began in 2010 and has continued until now. It covers the recovery from the economic turmoil and the implications of the European debt crisis. The author makes a comparative analysis of the foreign trade structure changes in Bulgaria and the other new EU Member States.

JEL: В22; F15; F41

Оn the base of the European Commission forecast up to 2030 it is done a comparative analysis of the Bulgarian energy tendencies with those of EC-27 and some Central East European Countries members of European Union. The results point that regarding some main energy indicators the Bulgarian economy will continue being after the considered countries. In the end of the paper are given a lot of measures and recommendations to improve the energy, investment, structural and ecological policy of the country aimed at energy efficiency, sustainability and competitivity of the Bulgarian economy.

JEL: L16; Q27; Q42; Q47; Q48

The author discusses the problems due to failures in applying or applying unsystematically the current accrual principle in public sector accounting. A special attention is paid to the strong dependence of the statistical information at European level on the quality of the accounting information basis for public finances. The objective necessity is presented of setting up a system, of harmonized European accounting standards for the public sector, based on the current accrual principle. The application of the International Accounting Standards in the EU public sector is analyzed. The problems encountered in the standardization of the accounting system in the public sector are discussed both in national and in global aspect.

JEL: M41

Despite the regional integration efforts African regional integration communities (RECs) still depend strongly on the outside world for trade. The study analyses the development of trade flows of selected RECs and then focuses on the commodity structure of international trade of each selected REC over the last decade.

JEL: F15; N77