scholarly journals Tackling Undeclared Self-Employment in South-East Europe: from Deterrents to Preventative Policy Measures

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Labour Law ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
Economic Actor ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Preventative Approach

This paper evaluates two contrasting policy approaches for tackling those working on an own-account basis who do not declare all their paid activities to the authorities for tax, social security and/or labour law purposes. The conventional deterrence approach, based on a rational economic actor view, has sought to raise the costs of engaging in undeclared work by increasing the expected sanctions and risk of detection. Recently, an alternative preventative approach has emerged viewing participants more as social actors operating in the undeclared economy when there is a lack of vertical trust (in government) and horizontal trust (in others to operate legitimately).Consequently, this seeks to improve vertical and horizontal trust in order to elicit voluntary compliance. To evaluate the effectiveness of these contrasting policy approaches in tackling undeclared self-employment, evidence is reported from a 2019 Eurobarometer survey in seven South-East European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Romania and Slovenia). This reveals that the likelihood of participation in undeclared selfemployment is not significantly associated with the deterrent measures of increasing the perceived sanctions and risk of detection but is significantly associated with the preventative measures of improving vertical and horizontal trust. The implications for theorising and tackling undeclared self-employment are discussed.

scholarly journals Genetic Structure and Phylogeography of Tuber magnatum Populations

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice Belfiori ◽  
Valentina D’Angelo ◽  
Claudia Riccioni ◽  
Marco Leonardi ◽  
Francesco Paolocci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Ectomycorrhizal Fungus ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Tuber Magnatum ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
History Of ◽  
Glacial Expansion

The ectomycorrhizal fungus Tuber magnatum produces the white truffle appreciated worldwide for its unique aroma. With respect to other Tuber spp. of economic interest, T. magnatum presents a narrower geographical range. This species has, in fact, long been considered endemic to Italy. However, over the last few decades several reports have documented the presence of white truffles in different Mediterranean countries and in particular in various areas of south-east Europe. In this study, samples from several Pannonian and Balkan countries such as Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece have been collected and genotyped with microsatellite markers and the data merged with those available for Italian populations. Our objectives were to test whether Italian and south-east European populations are differentiated and to evaluate the genetic diversity of T. magnatum all over its distributional range. We show the genetic structure of T. magnatum populations with the differentiation of four main groups: northern Italy, central-northern Italy, southern Italy and the Balkan/Pannonian region. The present study allowed us to refine the evolutionary history of T. magnatum and track the possible post-glacial expansion route of this species. The assessment of T. magnatum’s genetic structure is not only of scientific relevance, but it is also important for the conservation and market traceability of this prestigious fungus.

scholarly journals Littoral mayfly assemblages in South-East European man-made lakes

2019 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Vilenica ◽  
Natalija Vučković ◽  
Zlatko Mihaljević
Keyword(s):  
Flood Control ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
First Record ◽  
Freshwater Ecosystems ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Freshwater Habitats ◽  
Cloeon Dipterum

Man-made freshwater habitats have been widely used to successfully modify the environment for human benefit, including purposes of irrigation, flood control or electricity generation. Over the past decade, our knowledge about the mayfly fauna and its ecology in South-East Europe has been growing, yet the data related to lentic assemblages remain very scarce. In this study, littoral mayfly assemblages were investigated at artificial and heavily modified lentic habitats in the Dinaric Western Balkan (n=21) and Pannonian Lowland (n=15) ecoregions. Mayfly nymphs were sampled during the summer months of 2016 or 2017. At each sampling site, ten samples were collected using a benthos hand net. A total of 21 mayfly species were recorded, though species richness per site was rather low (i.e., between zero and seven species). Cloeon dipterum (Linnaeus, 1761) was the most frequent species recorded, while Caenis horaria Linnaeus, 1758 was the most abundant. This study showed that the Croatian mayfly fauna is still growing, with the first record of Siphlonurus aestivalis Eaton, 1903 for the country. The assemblage structure was mainly dominated by lower reaches and lentic (potamal and littoral) elements and detritivores (gatherers/collectors and active filter feeders). Orthophosphates and chemical oxygen demand had the highest influence on mayfly assemblages, reflecting a higher level of pollution at sites in the Pannonian Lowland ecoregion, and consequently markedly lower mayfly abundances. As mayflies are widely used as bioindicators of freshwater ecosystems, detailed information about their assemblages in heavily modified and artificial habitats could contribute to future conservation activities of freshwater habitats and their communities. Additionally, these results could be applied in creating a monitoring system for artificial lakes according to the requirements of the European Water Framework Directive.

scholarly journals A century of monetary reform in South-East Europe: from political autonomy to the gold standard, 1815–1910

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Morys
Keyword(s):  
Ottoman Empire ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Reform Process ◽  
Chronological Order ◽  
Monetary Reform ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
Political Autonomy ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Key Steps

This article documents and analyses monetary reform in Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Romania from 1815 (Serbian autonomy within the Ottoman Empire) to 1910, when Greece became the last country in the region to join the gold standard. It explains the five key steps towards monetary reform which the four countries took in the same chronological order, and asks why national coinage and the foundation of a bank of note issue came late in the reform process. The South-East European countries tried to emulate West European prototypes, yet economic backwardness meant such institutions were often different from the outset, remained short-lived or both.

scholarly journals Bourdieu’s theorization of social capital in the analysis of South-East European societies

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 538-566
Author(s):  
Mirko Petric ◽  
Inga Tomic-Koludrovic
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Class Relations ◽  
Social Closure ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
See Region ◽  
Consistent Application

This article discusses the significance of social capital in Bourdieu-inspired analyses of contemporary South-East European societies. We first recapitulate Bourdieu?s theorization of social capital, emphasizing that it allows different operationalizations expressly because of its rather abstract theoretical character. Following that, we explain what is meant by ?South- East European societies? and that their inequality-generating mechanisms are largely based on social closure. In the central part of the article, we comment on some attempts at operationalization of social capital in the SEE region. While we also discuss two cases of eclectically mixing Lin?s operationalization with Bourdieusian concepts, at the center of our attention is the elaboration of Bourdieu?s theorization of social capital put forward by the Serbian sociologist Predrag Cveticanin. The relevance of his concepts of ?social capital of solidarity? and ?social capital of informal connections? for the study of class relations in post-socialist societies in South-East Europe highlights the advantages of a consistent application of the Bourdieusian framework in a contemporary (post-Bourdieusian) context.

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) assemblages of a Pannonian lowland mountain, with first records of the parasite Symbiocladius rhithrogenae (Zavrel, 1924) (Diptera: Chironomidae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Marina Vilenica ◽  
Viktorija Ergović ◽  
Zlatko Mihaljević
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Sampling Period ◽  
East Europe ◽  
Assemblage Composition ◽  
East European ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Nmds Analysis ◽  
Baetis Rhodani ◽  
Ephemera Danica ◽  
Chironomid Fauna

Despite increasing numbers of studies on aquatic insects in South-East European streams, there are still gaps in the knowledge about their distribution and assemblage composition in many regions. As one of the most abundant and sensitive aquatic insects, mayflies are widely used as bioindicator taxa. With the main goal of improving the knowledge of South-East European mayflies, a study was conducted of 15 streams along a Pannonian lowland mountain, in spring and summer 2017. A total of 18 mayfly taxa were recorded, where Ephemera danica Müller, 1764 and Baetis rhodani (Pictet, 1843) were the most widespread. All sites were characterized with the domination of rhithral elements, with similar shares of grazers/scrapers and detritivores. Nevertheless, sites at lower altitudes generally had a higher share of potamal and littoral elements, and a higher share of detritivores than at higher altitudes. NMDS analysis separated sites mainly based on sampling period. Although Heptageniidae nymphs were recorded in all streams, the parasitic chironomid Symbiocladius rhithrogenae (Zavrel, 1924) was recorded attached to three nymphs of Rhithrogena group semicolorata, each in a different stream. These records represent the first report of this species for Croatia. The current study contributes significantly to our knowledge of mayfly assemblages and species distribution in South-East Europe. Moreover, with a newly recorded species, this study indicates that the knowledge of the Croatian chironomid fauna is still growing.

Greening the economy: EU membership as a driver for change in south-east Europe

SEER ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-180
Author(s):  
Bruno S. Sergi ◽  
Paul Arkoh ◽  
Chaimae Batta ◽  
Rim Drissi ◽  
Antonio Licastro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Social Needs ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Sustainable Economy ◽  
Environmental Considerations ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Selection Of

With ever-growing sensibilities concerning environmental protection, the shift towards a greening the economy is becoming a top priority. In order to realise sustainable development, however, sufficient resources are required, as well as an innovative approach based on social needs, environmental considerations and other aspects of social responsibility. The authors focus in this article on how a selection of south-east European countries have started to implement a broad spectrum of policies in support of a more sustainable economy, reviewing the choices in this area made by Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Romania and Slovenia. The article also discusses the major drivers and barriers to greening the economy, in particular how far EU membership is a major driver. The authors conclude that the main barriers impeding change are usually internal, as a result of policies remaining dependent on national governments and domestic social attitudes. However, access to European funds as a result of EU membership may well, where the local will is in accordance, encourage moves in support of a green transition.

The gold standard, fiscal dominance and financial supervision in Greece and South-East Europe, 1841–1939

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Morys
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Debt Crisis ◽  
Financial Supervision ◽  
World War ◽  
East Europe ◽  
East European ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Political Independence ◽  
Fiscal Dominance

Abstract We add a historical and regional dimension to the debate on the Greek debt crisis by analysing repeated cycles of entry and exit from the gold standard, government default, and financial supervision for four South-East European countries from political independence to World War II. The prevailing pattern of fiscal dominance was broken only under financial supervision, when conditionality scaled back the treasury’s influence; only then were central banks able to stabilize their exchange rates. A political economy analysis for Greece finds that financial supervision was politically acceptable as it made successfully adhering to gold more likely in the view of contemporaries.

scholarly journals Explaining different types of undeclared work: lessons from a 2019 Eurobarometer survey

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Williams ◽  
Gamze Oz-Yalaman
Keyword(s):  
Political Economy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Social Actor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Self Employment ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Economic Actor ◽  
Undeclared Work ◽  
Different Types

PurposeUntil now, most scholars have used one of four competing theories to explain undeclared work. Political economy theories explain undeclared work as resulting from the exclusion of workers from formal work and welfare, neo-liberal theories explain such work as a voluntarily chosen rational economic decision and neo-institutionalist and post-structuralist theories explain those engaging as social actors who disagree with the formal rules or seek to help others out respectively. Recognising that each theory focuses upon different employment relationships, this paper evaluates the proposition that these different theories are more explanations of different types of undeclared work.Design/methodology/approachTo evaluate this, data reported is collected in 2019 across 28 European countries (the 27 member states of the European Union and the United Kingdom) in special Eurobarometer survey 92.1 involving 27,565 interviews.FindingsOf the 3.6% of citizens participating in undeclared work, 10% engage in undeclared waged employment, 42% in undeclared self-employment and 48% in undeclared paid favours. Reporting their rationales, 7% state purely political economy exclusion-driven reasons, 19% solely neo-liberal rational economic actor reasons, 20% purely social actor reasons and 54% mixed motives. A logistic regression analysis finds those engaging in undeclared waged employment significantly more likely to state purely exclusion-driven rationales, those engaging in undeclared self-employment significantly more likely to state neo-liberal rational economic actor and neo-institutionalist social actor rationales and those engaging in undeclared paid favours post-structuralist social actor motives.Practical implicationsThis finding suggests that the policy initiatives required to tackle undeclared work will vary according to the type of undeclared work addressed. These are outlined.Originality/valueEvidence is provided that a different weighting needs to be given to different theories when explaining each type of undeclared work.

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