Volume 5 (2017): Issue 2 (December 2017)

In this paper, we will present the results of our survey on economic freedom and entrepreneurial activity. We have conducted our analysis on EU 11countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom) for the time period 2000- 2014. To measure the entrepreneurial activity we have used data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, and to measure economic freedom, we have used data from Fraiser Institute. Our results suggest strong positive and statistically significant, long term impact of economic freedom on entrepreneurial activity.

Only a few decades ago, the main drivers of globalization were the exchange of goods and capital flows, while the global trading system of today, fuelled by rapid technological changes increasingly bases itself on knowledge. The Key events - such as the use of the Internet and the increasingly important role of the rising countries economies - have contributed to a faster global exchange, but to a new nature as well. In order to illustrate the scope of the increase, perhaps it would be the best to mention the fact that in the 1970’s the share of trade in the world GDP amounted to 20%, whereas today it makes about one half. On the other hand, modern products represent compounds of raw materials, components, technologies and services originating from different areas and different continents, which has globalized the products themselves. In such conditions of the market competition, imposed by globalization and liberalization, for the European Union to remain as a leader, it had to prepare a sound and well-founded foreign policy strategy. The aim of this paper is to analyse the current position of the European Union in the global trading system, instruments of foreign trade policy, goals, foreign trade and the main challenges placed before the Union.

Essence, features and components of the energy market was investigated in the article. Regulatory support of energy efficiency and energy saving in the European Union and Ukraine was analyzed. Ukraine obligations due to the harmonization of the energy legislation with the EU standards were defined. Problems in the housing and communal services (HCS) as one of the largest consumers of energy resources were revealed.

Purpose : This study aims to investigate how variable ratios such as capital structure, NPM, ROA, asset structure and business risk on 60 companies listed on the IDX to know the book ending 2016. Research methodology : The method used in this research is descriptive statistic analysis, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis. Findings : result of research explains that capital structure of 60 food and beverage industry company have significant relation with variable of Net Profit Margin (NPM) equal to 0,0658, business risk equal to 0,0401, asset structure equal to 0,0019 and for ROA variable with no relation significant with a value of 0.5929. So that 3 variables that have significant relationship and 1 variable of capital structure with ROA is not significant. Originality : This study can contribute to the existing literature, especially those related to the analysis of the company’s financial ratios. And later the results of this study can be used as an investigation tool about the impact of business risk to the company’s financial analysis of the food and beverage industry.

One of the key goals of the economic policy makers of every country is to achieve internal and external balance. An unavoidable segment of the analysis concerning the achievement of internal and external balance is certainly the influence of the exchange rate regime applied in a country. European transition countries, despite their similar initial problems and final objectives, applied different exchange rate regimes adapted to the economic circumstances and needs of the country. The paper aims to examine and demonstrate the impact of the applied exchange rate regime on the internal balance of the transition countries. The research encompasses 10 representative transition countries, in the period from 2000-2014. The results of the research, from the aspect of internal balance, confirmed the justification of the application of the floating exchange rate regime in more developed, but not in less-developed, European transition countries. The application of floating exchange rate regimes in less-developed transition countries is associated with a considerably higher average inflation rate, which may be explained by the higher import dependence of lessdeveloped countries and by the consequent transfer of depreciation to price growth.

This study focuses on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows and how they are linked with the economic indicators in Turkey including the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER), and Gross Domestic Product per capita of Purchasing Power Parity - GDP (PPP) in Turkey. The GDP (PPP) variable is used because it shows significant causality on REER, along with the exchange rate volatility of the U.S Dollar in the Turkish stock market. Also, as an important sector of the Turkish economy, tourism revenue is elucidated according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data from 2016. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the FDI investment on economic condition in Turkey for the period between January 2010 and July 2016. The selected period is important because it represents the crucial time for Turkish economy following the 2008 global financial crisis along with the ongoing Civil War in neighboring Syria that had initiated in 2012, Turkish-Russian crises of 2015, and the military coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. It is argued that despite all the negative international and regional developments, FDI and Tourism play key roles in attracting income to the country. This is presented in the level of REER and GDP for PPP. The results also support the findings of many economists, who have previously asserted that the Turkish economic interaction is growing at a globalized level, and is able to compete with the other large attractive areas for foreign investors around the world. Finally, the results demonstrate that the tourism industry was the least affected sector in Turkey.

The focus of this study is the banking sector of the three neighbouring countries Bosnia and Herzegovina; Montenegro; and Serbia. These are former communist countries which have been going through the transition from centrally-planned economies to open market economies over the past 25 years. During the transition process, structural reforms were conducted to transform the banking sector into a sector suitable for open market economy. These reforms are considered to be the most successful ones in the region. Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09, the economies of the three selected countries were experiencing credit booms. The aim of this research was to examine how the banking sector is performing on an aggregated level years after the crisis and whether the performance is better or worse compared to the pre-crisis period. The findings show that the banking sector was performing better before the crisis in all three countries. After the crisis, the three countries experienced prolonged slow credit growth and had higher nonperforming loans.

The saving and investment balance can ensure the stability of the financial market. The aim of the study is to analyse the dynamics of the saving-investment balance in the Republic of Moldova and its impact on economic growth. The role and possibilities of attracting foreign investments into fixed assets are presented. The indicator of investment growth with a low level of gross savings is a signal or a harbinger of a decline in economic growth. According to the National Bank of Moldova, legal export of capital from the Republic of Moldova takes only a small part in the process of export of capital. The leading role in the mechanism of transformation of savings into investment should belong to BNM.

This study aims to investigate how the influence of monetary variables from abroad to Indonesia’s monetary conditions. This study uses exchange rate variables, interest rates of U.S. central banks, world oil prices and interest rates of Indonesian banks. This study proposes a short-term SVAR analysis using FEVD and IRF as an additional analysis tool. From the research done in the explanation that with SVAR model that in the proposal is less precise, the result for IRF and FEVD analysis can not be made as additional material of analysis tool from SVAR model which in proposal.

The European Union is the most complex and by any aspect the most unique example of a regional economic integration. Its origin, evolution and survival are based on a common legislative and institutional framework. The so-called common policies implemented in a number of economic and non-economic areas are particularly distinctive. Most of them are implemented on two levels: national and communal. The only common policy that is fully implemented at the European Union level is the Community Agrarian Policy (CAP), whereas the agriculture has the highest expenditure in the communal budget. The function of CAP is primarily economic as its goals are strictly related to economic issues: price stability of agricultural products, productivity growth, higher wages for the farmers, etc. The CAP strengthens the Union’s social cohesion, which is of utmost importance in times of constant crises, BREXIT and other extreme instabilities. For this reason, the CAP has been in the processes of continuous reforms (MacShary, Mansholt and those of recent times) for decades, in order to increase its efficiency and justify enormous financial investments. The CAP results depend on the achievement of preset objectives and the exchange of agricultural products and food that the European Union generates globally. It has been demonstrated that the CAP is a significant common policy, both in achieving economic goals and in the sphere of strengthening communal cohesion.

Digital transformation as integration of digital technology into business results in fundamental changes of way world does business, communicate and develops on national and international level. There is increase of high-tech public spending which is connected with increase of need for high-tech as well as importance and benefits that it brings to development of economy. This so called digital or high-tech sector is one of the strategic sectors in the leading world economies, starting from the US and the European Union. EU recognized it in strategic document “Europe 2020” which sees this sector as key factor in smart growth based on tech knowledge and innovation. Europe, especially western and northern Europe, is trying to keep its competitiveness in global tech arena with USA and fast developing countries such as China and India as well as Asian tech giants such are Japan, South Korea and Singapore. There is increase of European countries investment in digital transformation through private and public ICT sector development which usually has positive impact on economic growth as well as key indicators such are GDP, productivity and employment. This paper provides basic review of digital transformation and high-tech sector in Europe as well as comparison between EU and Western Balkan countries. Additionally, there is analysis of influence of ICT spending on GDP growth. Paper could serve as basic for further research in area of influence of tech investment on key macroeconomics indicators.

Tourism is the fastest growing and one of the most profitable industries in the world, with countless opportunities for the economic development of the regions. One should not view tourism and hospitality as separate concepts, since one can neither exist nor can be sustained without the other. A tourist, besides wanting to see and get to know the attractiveness of a place, wants to be offered a satisfactory level of basic (food, accommodation, transport) and additional (entertainment, recreation, shopping. . ) services which will certainly have an influence on his satisfaction and the desire to return. If we don’t turn to socially responsible behavior, we will lose the conditions for the development of tourism, and therefore a possible basis for social and economic prosperity as a result of such a sustainable tourism. Globalisation also appears as a threat of uniformity of everything that surrounds us, because different societies, economies and cultures are increasingly intertwined and thus endanger the identity of one nation, its customs, folklore and overall cultural creativity.