Issue 1, 2006

The study is dedicated to the connection between the economic growth and globalization process. Different definitions of the globalization are suggested. Connections internationalization, world economy, regionalization, globalization are interpreted. The globalization of the economy is treated as a side of the globalization development. Certain place is given to the problem of the connection between the autonomics of the globalization process, the state of the countries and nations, including of the small countries. Examined is the reflection of the globalization process on the object of the theoretical economy, on its term system, on the necessity of measuring the globalization effect. Finally the attention is drawn to the forming of a general model of the development and the economic growth, as well as the regionalization as a new format of the society.
JEL: F02, O11

Lately branding has experienced fast development as an individual part of commercial marketing, whose object of knowledge is the creation, maintaining and protection of the trade mark. Gradually it turned into the main marketing instrument and main goal of commercial marketing. We can easily say that it is the main focus, gradually replacing everything else.
In parallel with the development of branding there are realized the first attempts with respect to its principles and methods in the creation, maintenance and protection of the trade mark to be used also in other areas of public life and mostly in politics. Contemporary politics in the conditions of a democratic transition and market organization of society is oriented towards rational political and the connected with those economic programs. The creation and the lasting presence in the minds of people require stability, transparency and predictability. Contemporary political marketing originates from the same principle of new consumer culture, trying through branding to form in society or certain segments of it a stable and heightened interest in political parties as in a "group of homonymous goods" and this is understandable since it is easier to raise and impose a whole party (or rather its brand) than each separate candidate for a position of authority. Branding is not only a modern word in the vocabulary of marketeers, but an activity, which prospering companies do every day in order to keep their competitiveness. The same also goes for political subjects which in time turn into sustainable political brands through the creation of trust between their own brand and its supporters.
The object of this study is to reveal how the principles and laws of branding in the creation, affirmation and protection of the trade mark can also be applied in politics or at least to find specific similarities between the trade mark and the political brand. The main objective is to initiate an academic discussion on the applicability of the laws and principles of branding in politics as a specific area of public life.
JEL: M39

The article presents the main findings of the basic paper contributors at the workshop under the above title. The aim was to increase gender awareness and open channels of discussion on the new migration from Bulgaria by gender. The authors have delivered papers on gender dimension issues of the emigration process in Bulgaria since 1989 onwards and have discussed them with representatives of the official (executive) institutions and relevant NGOs. Data from the National Statistical Institute, in particular the last Population Census (2001) and a sample survey in 2003 are used to shed light on patterns of people's mobility in gender perspective in the last 15 years and in the years to come - by age, reason for migration, education, ethnic group, geographical destination of the Bulgarian migrants, etc. Gender aspects of external migration statistics, labour market performance and policy and social consequences are considered. In conclusion implications are given in two aspects: concerning improvement of migration statistics by gender and concerning building an adequate national policy towards the ongoing migration processes, in particular in view of the soon integration of Bulgaria into the EU.
JEL: J16; J19; J61

The study discusses the development of the regional differences and the integration processes in EU in accordance with the changes of the regional specialization and the industrial concentration - theoretical and empirical aspect. The development of these processes in Bulgaria is analyzed in the context of the similar processes running in some countries members of EU and Romania. This allows determining the expected tendencies according to the level of economic development, branch structure and regional differences. Based on empirical analysis the potential winning and losing regions are determined. Some conclusions are made concerning the opportunities for the regional economic policy to shade the negative effects as a result of the increase of the regional differences.
JEL: F15; R12; R58

The objective of the study is to determine, analyze and evaluate the state and development of the social differences between the Bulgarian municipalities in the period 2001-2002. the concrete research tasks concern the execution of:

• analysis and evaluation of the arranging and differentiating of the municipalities by chosen social indexes in 2002
• analysis and evaluation of the dynamics of the changes in the arranging and differentiating the municipalities in the period 2001-2002
• generalizations and conclusions concerning the state and changes in the social differences between the municipalities in the studied period
• generalizations and conclusions for the identifying changes in the social differences between the municipalities in the studied period compared with the period 1998-2000.

With the help of a model, based on the taxonomic method, the generalizing evaluations for the social state of the municipalities are calculated and analyzed. The evaluations are based on statistical information for the following indexes: taxable incomes per capita; size of paid social assistances per capita, share of the population in a regime of water usage from the water-supplied population (%), medical practices/1000 people and dentist practices/1000 people.
JEL: I38, O18, R13

The study discusses the basic kinds of electronic bank operations - electronic payments. These operations are based on electronic money. The analysis of the economic nature of electronic money in wide and narrow sense is done. Features and prospects of regulation by the Central bank of electronic money in the future are discussed. Attention is drawn to an opportunity of occurrence so-called electronic seigniorage. At the presence of private electronic money this seigniorage will not belong any more to the state. The analysis of a condition of electronic payments in the Bulgarian bank system for 6 years period (from 1999 up to 2004) is made.
JEL: E41, E52, E58, F01, G21, G28

The contemporary social-economic conditions set pension-insurance companies, operating on the market of financial services against the serious challenge to compete with already confirmed financial institutions offering similar products with a definite saving element, as well as with each other in their desire to dominate on this market. The carrying out of an active marketing policy by the pension-insurance companies, focusing on differentiation concerning their complex marketing offer, could turn into a profitable strategy for success and the occupying of highly competitive positions in the conditions of continuously changing dynamic social-economic environment.
Study object in the article are: the offered by the pension-insurance companies portfolio of pension products, the opportunities for making price decisions concerning the pension service, their distribution projects and communication solutions for promoting the consumption of product suggestions with definite saving character.
JEL: G23, M31

The objective of the study is revealing the mechanisms of pricing on the gas market. The problem is studied in historical aspect. Examined is the "Gulf Plus" model and the "double base" model. Characterized are the type of petrol market and the creation of OPEK.
The reasons for rise of the gas prices - the problems of costs, taxes and the distribution of the petrol rent, the OPEK policy, are analyzed in contemporary aspect.
JEL: Q34, L22, F42, Q43, F13