Issue 4, 2014

The paper deducts the models of the static and dynamic disequilibrium on the base of more careful presentation of the classical concepts of market equilibrium, looking for the common origin, and the process of negotiation. The theory of disequilibrium is integrated with empirical researches of the gas sector in Europe, resulting in generalized comments.
JEL: В13; C23; Н21; L24; L95

The study examines the relationship between structure-administrative decentralization and governance sustainability, and their role for optimum functioning of regional economy. It analyses a conceptual framework, utilized to measure the structural decentralization process, the level of compatibility between activities in two administrative categories/processes - Integral and Conceptual categories. In addition, the study determines the utility coefficients of these activities in the process of administrative, social and economic decentralization. They are very important for optimizing the administrative/governing behavior of local authorities and business organizations.
JEL: O10; R11; H11; C78

The article focuses on a new aspect of the measurement of comparative advantages, resp. specialization of exports as a supplement to the classical approaches of Béla Balassa and Thomas Vollrath. The suggested approach sums up the diverse expression of comparative advantages according to commodity groups and countries and derives the current exports specialization regularity for international trade.For this purpose a vector was set up of the general comparative advantages for each country, based on the Euclidean Space. The countries are classified by means of hierarchy cluster analysis into relatively uniform groups in terms of exports specialization.
JEL: C38; F14

The results are presented of testing the impact from the total income changes on the state of the components of market demand of foods and soft drinks by consumers. Regularities are pointed out in the changed quantities of the consumed products, of the expenses made for them, of their prises, of the consumed food energy and its components. An attempt was made to elucidate the inflation system for these products, caused by income changes.
JEL: D12; Q11

The article analyses key issues which have an impact on the development of insurance culture. Trends in insurance regulation and supervision at the European level are identified and the Bulgarian context is discussed during 2007-2013, outlining the main market dynamics indicators. Survey results about life insurance issues of youth in Bulgaria are offered from private opinion poll, carried out in December 2013. The low degree of insurance culture of Bulgarian youth is due to insufficient resources to buy insurance products, as well as limited public awareness campaign. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the role of universities and the school network to enable a more fficient access to financial education for young people and their families. Insurance companies should be involved in this process in order to raise the level of confidence of consumers of insurance products and services.
JEL: D14; D18; G20; G22; G28

The aim of the following research paper is to present the state of the business environment five years after the beginning of the crisis, the most general reasons for this state and the erspectives for positive change in the context of the conditions for enhancement of competitiveness of the companies in the most problematic for EU region – the South European Member-States. The research is accomplished by systematization and generalization of secondary data from popular periodical international comparative studies of the competitiveness indicators, in which are present results for the countries from the region. Among the main results of the research are definition of the group of the „Southern EU Member-States” in competitiveness context, as well as the classification in groups and systematization of these states according to the main present challenges for competitiveness of the environment and the perspectives for competitive growth and development in middle term.
JEL: E6; F02; H12; M0; O57; Z18

This paper summarizes some of the most influential economic concepts developed by Gottfried Haberler, a leading economic theorist of the 20th century. The importance of his theories for modern economic thought cannot be overestimated. His ideas on price indices, applied opportunity costs for international trade, macroeconomics and development theory still have a prominent impact on economic theory.

In connection with finalizing the project “Confirming Standards for Good Corporate Governance in Bulgarian Industry” financed by the Science Fund, a scientific conference on the topic was carried out on 14th March 2014 in Economic Research Institute at BAS. Nine papers were presented at the conference, classified in the following directions: - legal framework of good corporate governance; - comparative analysis of corporate governance models; - monitoring the corporate boards in Bulgaria - role of the stakeholders in corporate governance; - European perspectives of corporate social responsibility. The participants in the science conference were representatives of Economic Research Institute at BAS, University of National and World Economy, New Bulgarian University, Institute for the State and Law at BAS, NGOs, top managers of firms, PhD students, etc.