A Case for Partial Funding of Pensions with an Application to the EU Candidate Countries

In their negotiations for accession to the EU, candidate countries have made important social policy commitments. These include the promotion of social dialogue up to EU standards and the application of the principles and values that prevail in this area. Accordingly, governments of candidate countries are trying to promote appropriate conditions for such social dialogue to take place, while social partners are reinforcing their structures to play their full role in the social dialogue process. Nevertheless, there has been little debate about the real objectives of social dialogue in the candidate countries. What is social dialogue for, what has it achieved so far, and why is it so important to develop it further? Who are expected to be the ultimate beneficiaries of social dialogue mechanisms and practices? What implications might current features of social dialogue in candidate countries have in the enlarged European Union? This article provides a first tentative assessment of the coverage of social dialogue - and thus of the effectiveness of social dialogue mechanisms - in the candidate countries.

Differences between Croatia and EU Candidate Countries: the CAGE Distance Framework

Business Systems Research Journal ◽

10.1515/bsrj-2015-0011 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 52-62 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Helena Miloloža

Keyword(s):

Empirical Support ◽

Foreign Market ◽

International Exchange ◽

Foreign Markets ◽

Systematic Analysis ◽

Economic Dimension ◽

Border Trade ◽

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

AbstractBackground:Nowadays, international cooperation is unevenly divided among countries. The decisive criteria imply cultural, administrative, geographical, and economical closeness among countries. Therefore, understanding such factors can significantly facilitate the performance of the company on foreign market.Objectives: The goal of this paper is to identify the fundamental differences between Croatia and the EU candidate countries through a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the determinants within the CAGE Distance Framework. This systematic analysis can significantly intensify Croatia’s international exchange and improve Croatia’s performance at important foreign markets.Methods/Approach:Research comprises original datasets on distance factors within CAGE distance framework. With cultural, administrative, geographic and economic data of Croatia and EU candidate countries, empirical support about the impact of distinctions on international exchange has been given.Results:Cultural and geographical similarities are particularly noticeable among Croatia and EU candidate countries, although there are also no significant differences in the administrative and the economic dimension. However, Turkey is the only country that somewhat differs in each segment.Conclusions:Similarities have significant influence on cross-border trade. With all present similarities and differences, cooperation among Croatia and the EU candidate countries has a perspective for development, especially at a time when all candidate countries join the EU.

Determinants of Income Inequality in EU Candidate Countries: A Panel Analysis

Economic Themes ◽

10.2478/ethemes-2019-0023 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 57 (4) ◽

pp. 397-413

Author(s):

Vesna Bucevska

Keyword(s):

Income Inequality ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Panel Data Analysis ◽

Potential Candidate ◽

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

Main Determinants ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact ◽

The Eu

AbstractDespite increasing income per capita, the EU candidate and potential candidate countries remain confronted with high levels of income inequality. The purpose of our paper is to identify the main determinants of income inequality among the EU candidate countries. In addition to macroeconomic factors, we also analyze the impact of demographic variables to provide more reliable estimates. Using panel data analysis with fixed effects in the period 2005-2017 for three EU candidate countries (North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey) we find that the unemployment rate, the level of economic development and the investment rate are the main determinants whose increase leads to a bigger income differentiation in the analyzed countries. The government indebtedness has also a statistically significant, but a negative impact on income inequality. The other two macroeconomic variables in the model – the terms of trade and inflation are statistically insignificant. Among the demographic factors, population growth and education significantly affect income inequality among the EU candidate countries. The obtained results suggest that a sustainable economic growth combined with active measures in the labor market and the improvement of education level of the population could lead to more equal income distribution.

Differences in efficiency of innovation performance among EU candidate countries and EU 28 countries

ILIRIA International Review ◽

10.21113/iir.v8i1.388 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dr. Sc. Slagjana Stojanovska ◽

Dr. Sc. Violeta Madzova

Keyword(s):

Performance Indicators ◽

Performance Index ◽

Innovation Policy ◽

Innovation Performance ◽

Limited Resources ◽

Candidate Country ◽

Efficiency Performance ◽

Innovation Output ◽

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

The Eu

The aim of this paper is to identify if there are differences in the efficiency of innovation performance between the two groups of countries: EU candidate countries such as Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey and the average level of innovation performance in EU-28 countries from 2010 - 2017. The further paper’s analysis aims to identify the most crucial factors and indicator that contribute to the efficiency of innovation performance in both groups of countries.In that sense, the comparative analyses of the two observed groups of countries has been done, using the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) data as well as 12 EIS indicators for the period 2010 - 2017. For benchmarking of the countries three indicators are created: sub-index Input Innovation (II), sub-index Output Innovation (OI) and the Innovation Efficiency Performance Index (IEPI).The findings show that there is a difference in efficiency of innovation performance indicators between the observed two groups of countries, but as well as among each the EU candidate country. In fact, Macedonia (IEPI=2.33) has twice higher efficiency of transforming innovation inputs into innovation output unlike the EU28 countries (IEPI=1.17), Serbia (IEPI=1.06) and Turkey (IEPI=.24).It can be noted as well that Macedonia managed to use its limited resources to input (sub-index II= 0.13) in much more efficient/productive way (IEPI= 2.33) and to obtain most output innovation (sub-index OI= 0.29). This paper’s findings can be used for designing better innovation policy in the observed EU candidate countries.

ECVAM'S Activities in the EU Candidate Countries

Alternatives to Laboratory Animals ◽

10.1177/026119290203002s32 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 30 (2_suppl) ◽

pp. 203-205

Author(s):

Dariusz Sladowski ◽

Marlies Halder

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Technology Development ◽

The European Union ◽

International Organisations ◽

Testing Methods ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Training Courses ◽

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

The Three Rs ◽

The Eu

ECVAM has been given a special grant for collaborative projects on alternative/advanced testing methods involving eleven Candidate Countries for membership of the European Union (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia). The project involves the promotion of the Three Rs (reduction, refinement, replacement) concept of Russell & Burch, in cooperation with appropriate individuals and national and international organisations in the Candidate Countries themselves, and elsewhere. The scope of the programme's activities covers: conferences in some of the Candidate Countries, workshops, training courses, training visits, and technology development/transfer initiatives. A database of contacts in the Candidate Countries and in relevant institutions in other countries, is being compiled.

Innovation Propensity in the EU Candidate Countries

Transition Studies Review ◽

10.1007/s11300-011-0205-3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 405-417 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ljiljana Božić ◽

Valerija Botrić

Keyword(s):

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

The Eu

Macroeconomic Imbalances and the Economic Convergence of the EU candidate countries

Scholedge International Journal of Business Policy & Governance ISSN 2394-3351 ◽

10.19085/journal.sijbpg031001 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (10) ◽

pp. 135

Author(s):

Daniela Bobeva ◽

Dimitar Zlatinov

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Economic Crisis ◽

Economic Convergence ◽

Slowing Down ◽

Macroeconomic Imbalances ◽

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

Economic Developments ◽

The Eu

The paper assesses the relevance of the EU Macroeconomic Imbalances Procedure scoreboard for the EU candidate countries. The calculation of the 14 indicators for a nine years period proves the recent economic crisis helped resolve some of the imbalances in the EU candidate countries but on the back of the slowing down the economic growth and convergence. The paper argues that MIP scoreboard fails to capture the specifics of economic developments of the caching up economies and cannot be used as a tool for assessing their readiness to join the EU.

СТЕЧАЈ БАНАКА И ФИНАНСИЈСКИХ УСТАНОВА У ЗЕМАЉАМА КАНДИДАТИМА ЗА ЕУ ЗАПАДНОГ БАЛКАНА

TEME ◽

10.22190/teme1801129d ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 129

Author(s):

Ђуро М. Ђурић ◽

Владимир М. Јовановић ◽

Мирјана М. Мисаиловић

Keyword(s):

Financial Markets ◽

Financial Institutions ◽

Economic Conditions ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Eu Countries ◽

Eu Membership ◽

Financial Difficulties ◽

The World ◽

Eu Candidate Countries ◽

The Eu

The objective of this paper is to present the regulation of insolvency of banks and other financial institutions in some West Balkans countries (Serbia, Montenegro and FYROM) candidates for the EU membership and its development under the influence of the EU regulations. This question has become particularly interesting since the onset of the world financial crisis of 2008. Banks and financial institutions from the EU countries are among major players in financial markets. The crisis has shown that the models that have previously existed were not sufficient and did not enable an adequate level of cooperation between member states, in order to minimize the spreading of negative effects of individual insolvencies and problems of individual financial institutions across the EU and all over the world. Therefore, changes were needed in the regulations, and indeed, certain changes have been made. This paper tries to see and evaluate the enlargement of the EU which is currently not on top of the EU political and economic agenda, the candidate countries are in the process of adjusting their legislation and practices in order to be better prepared for negotiating with the EU, but also in order to make their respective economic conditions and markets more harmonized with the EU countries, therefore making them more attractive to potential foreign investors. We shall attempt to give a brief analysis of how several West Balkans EU candidate countries have reacted to the described changes in the EU regulations regarding financial institutions and handling their financial difficulties.