Author: Sandra BROŽOVÁ
Abstract: The article deals with international coordination of social security in the EU, aiming special focus on self-employed persons. The article outlines an overview of international social security coordination system with its legal sources and presents original research using cluster analysis method based on statistical data compiled by European Commission experts. The presented research is based on a conducted cluster analysis bringing together principal macroeconomic characteristics describing relative size and relative strength of economies, in particular total number of inhabitants, GDP per capita, in internationally comparable purchasing power parity version, and average wage, with quantitative expression of labour migration, represented by short term mobility covered by the European law posting provisions. The research question was formulated towards exploration whether there are some common features in short-term mobility inflows created by independent self-employed persons in the European internal market. The results showed prevailing lack of consistency leading to the fact that the clusters reported by the model were not comparable in size, when two of them embraced nearly all the examined European countries and the other two only few of them.
Keywords: social security coordination, migration of self-employed persons, cluster analysis, posting of workers.
Pages: 4-18 | Full text (PDF)
Authors: Srđan Mladenov JOVANOVIĆ
Abstract: It is difficult to properly emphasize the increase in xenophobia on a global level, from discourse to appropriate policies. Though Donald Trump’s “wall” has become a world-known feature, fences have been built in numerous places within Europe as well. Xenophobic discourses are increasingly used as a means for gaining electoral support, after which “adequate” policies are being introduced. From the “immigrant” or “guest worker” to the “refugee” or “asylum seeker”, these people have been shunned on an institutional and media level, invisible in their plight for decades, oftentimes painted as criminals. With the resurgence of xenophobia, their visibility increased only to be put in a negative spotlight, as scapegoats instead of victims. This article deals with the discursive construction of the Enemy from the refugee in the Middle East from the methodological standpoint of Critical Discourse Analysis, as well as how this exclusionary, discriminative discourse in turn creates xenophobic policies on a global scale.
Keywords: xenophobia, borders, walls, refugees, discourse, policy, media.
Pages: 19-39 | Full text (PDF)
Author: Celso Cancela OUTEDA
Abstract: In Europe, cross-border cooperation between sub-national organizations offers many experiences, driven by organizations such as the European Union. Today, these experiences present different profiles derived from antiquity, the participating agents (local, regional, national), the level of institutionalization, the economic product or socio-economic reality, the type of interstate relations (friendly and hostile), etc. Basically, this contribution contains a case study that refers to the experience developed by Galicia and the Region of North of Portugal. The main objective is to present its historical evolution, its current institutions and the actors involved. In this way, lessons for other places and areas can be obtained.
Keywords: cross-border, Galicia, Portugal, border region, cross border, Euroregion, eurocities.
Pages: 40-61 | Full text (PDF)
Author: Liliya UKRAYINETS
Abstract: China is the leader of economic development among the countries of the Asian region and given its strong economic expansion it is the key economic center of the Asian and Eurasian mega-regions. The empirical study shows that Chinese investors receive additional incentives to invest in Ukraine if there is a prior positive investment experience, increasing market potential, and openness and economic freedom. As Ukraine is generally perceived as a path to European markets, the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU is a positive factor. However, the readiness of investors from China to support corruption schemes in the Ukrainian economy arouses concern. Therefore, in order to enhance and improve the structure of investment flows from China to Ukraine, it is necessary to take a number of measures to overcome corruption. One of the main priorities of modern Ukrainian foreign policy is joining Belt and Path Initiative.
Keywords: China, foreign trade, foreign economic relations, FDI, Ukraine.
Pages: 62-77 | Full text (PDF)
Author: Laura Cătălina ŢIMIRAŞ
Abstract: This paper aims to highlight the use of European quality schemes at Community level to protect agri-food products, including alcoholic beverages. After highlighting the advantages granted to products by using these schemes to protect and, implicitly, promote those products having unique characteristics linked to their geographical origin or, as the case may be, the traditional production / processing system, the paper presents the situation at Community level from the point of view of the quantity of products protected through different quality schemes, by country and category of protected products. Among the quality schemes used at EU level for agri-food products, including alcoholic beverages in the present paper we referred to: "geographical indication" and "traditional specialty guaranteed". The paper is based on the information of European Commission in which protected products are registered through different quality schemes, through and the information contained in various scientific papers, normative acts and statistical databases.
Keywords: European quality schemes, geographical indications, traditional speciality guaranteed, European Union.
Pages: 78-95 | Full text (PDF)
Author: Viorelia LUNGU
Abstract: A knowledge-based society generates profound transformations fostering social and economic development to the point where this factor becomes the key element in producing added value, but also the overall prosperity of both internal and national economies. In this regard, higher education institutions have key functions in the process of transmitting, producing and transferring knowledge within a knowledge-based economy, whilst companies need to base their innovations and performance programs on generating knowledge, thus ensuring sustainable development. The success in the new economy depends on a knowledge-based society which imposes a new inter-relational system, different from the current, built on openness, flexibility, permanent education and specialized entrepreneurial motivation.
Keywords: knowledge, sustainable development, information society etc.
Pages: 96-111 | Full text (PDF)
Author: Cristian DÎRVĂ, Anda Simona DÎRVĂ
Abstract: The catallactic functions within a firm are the same, irrespective of production scale or organization typology. That being said, an “entrepreneurial perspective” projected on inter-/multi-/transnational corporations is just as legitimate, although usually the entrepreneurial element is associated with the “small business” managed by the owner himself. The entrepreneur, having an unmistakable role in the structure of production (still marred by ambiguities in some parts of the business literature), has the same identification data, from “self-employed” (for tax purposes) to “joint stock” companies. Every enterprise has at its core the idea of human action based on resource ownership (the property function), carried out in time (the capitalist function) and subject to uncertainty (the entrepreneurial function). These functions are related to specific business projects that are managed in a monetarily calculated manner in order to acquire profits. This article revisits the basic framework of the enterprise / corporation, placing there the entrepreneurial compound, inextricably linked to risk-taking, to which managerial activity, including risk management, is a complement, not a substitute.
Keywords: entrepreneur, manager, enterprise, corporation, profit, loss, uncertainty, risk.
Pages: 112-124 | Full text (PDF)