The Schengen agreement further strengthens the implementation of the principles of free movement of goods, services and persons provided in the EU and beyond. This intergovernmental agreement offers a lot of challenges that need to be examined for building understanding of the complexity of consequences of a large magnitude. The aim of this study is to develop and apply a comprehensive methodology in order to evaluate the economic effects of a country`s accession to the Schengen area. The study explores different types of economic implications, including direct, potential, ecological and fiscal effects. Moreover, the universality of the methodology provides for its comprehensive and wide applicability under different context and scenarios of abolition of border control. The developed methodology has been applied in order to evaluate the economic impact on Bulgaria from the country`s accession to the Schengen area.

Seventeen years after Bulgaria's accession to the European Union is an appropriate period to assess the changes that have taken place in the civil sector and to highlight the current problems of its development. This is the research task of the study. In addition to the analytical part, a strategic framework and a model for supporting the development of CSOs have been developed. Despite positive changes, the main findings of the analysis are that there is a lag in the sustainability of the third sector: the territorial distribution of CSOs is highly uneven, and there is a lack of state policy for interaction with the sector. Two strategic alternatives are outlined. One is to maintain existing trends and adopt a position dealing with unimportant current and prospective issues; the other alternative has a purpose to concentrate on helping to solve important current societal problems and, to a greater extent, prospective ones.

There are intense ongoing debates about the importance and quality of agri-food governance, and these have not gone unnoticed in Bulgaria. There is no suitable Bulgarian translation for the word governance, and many inaccurate terms are used such as managing, management, leadership, directing, regulating, regime, etc. In order to accurately reveal the essence of this category and avoid misunderstandings with researchers in other fields, this article uses the term governance. It adapts the methodology of New Institutional Economics and offers a holistic framework for an adequate understanding of agri-food governance and for assessing its quality. Agri-food governance is defined as a complex system with five main components: (1) agrarian and related agents, (2) the means (rules, forms, and mechanisms) that govern agents' behavior, activities, and relationships, (3) processes and activities associated with decision-making, (4) a specific social order resulting from the governance process, and (5) the system’s performance results in relation to the realization of sustainable development goals. To assess the quality of agri-food governance, a multidimensional hierarchical system of principles, criteria, indicators, and reference values for good governance is suggested. The initial assessment of the quality of agri-food governance in Bulgaria, based on expert and statistical data, shows that it is at an average (European) level. In terms of sustainability, the quality is at a good level, while it is at a satisfactory level in terms of processes, means, and order. The Bulgarian agri-food governance strengths are in terms of equity and solidarity, in addition to a well-functioning public sector; its weaknesses are in stakeholder engagement and private sector efficiency.

The text proposes a study of Sylos-Labini’s interdisciplinary orientation and how this relates to the institutional approach. Sylos-Labini’s multi-disciplinary approach seems to stand between Old Institutional Economics and New Institutional Economics. He states that an interdisciplinary approach, in which economic theory is juxtaposed with history, sociology, anthropology, and empirical research, is realistic and does not entail any limitation on the production of scientific knowledge. Thus, Sylos-Labini seems to be more interested in the old institutionalist school and sociology than new institutional economics and the theory of firms and contracts. Therefore, this paper investigates whether Sylos-Labini’s multidisciplinary approach to economics can represent a possible bridge between Old Institutional Economics and New Institutional Economics.

The overall aim of this paper is to empirically evaluate the perception of SME managers or owners on business performance (BP) during the year 2023, compared to 2022. The research has determined the dependent variable – the evaluation of BP – while education (EDU), drafted business plan (DBP), experience in the field in which the business operates (EXP), managerial ability (YMS), new product development (NPD), and inadequate skill level of employment skills (ILES) are defined as independent variables. The sample during the realization of this research consists of 336 questionnaires. The data for the inquiry were collected between March and April 2023. Multinominal regression was applied as the econometric approach, and it was also used in some of the important tests for the model’s determination. The discoveries of this study reveal that education, experience in the field in which the business operates, and managerial skills have a statistically significant influence while other variables exhibit an insignificant influence on BP. With a view towards contribution and originality, our research differs essentially from earlier studies, both in the selection of variables and in the applied approach. Therefore, productive discussions will result between scholars, academics, and policy-making bodies.

Precision agriculture represents an innovative approach utilizing technologies and scientific methods to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural oper-ations and their application in modern agriculture. Various technological innovations are analyzed, including the use of sensors, GPS systems, remote sensing, and software solutions that aid in optimizing agricultural operations. The article discusses the chal-lenges of implementing precision agriculture, as well as future development opportuni-ties in the sector and the potential benefits for farmers, rural communities, and the en-vironment from implementing this approach. The importance of precision agriculture as an innovative strategy for addressing challenges and achieving sustainable develop-ment in agriculture is emphasized. The goal of this article is to assist agricultural pro-ducers, agricultural specialists, and decision-makers in the sector in making informed decisions and strategies for implementing precision agriculture in their practices. Im-plementing precision agriculture will lead to improved efficiency and sustainability by reducing the use of resources such as water, fertilizers, and pesticides, increasing the productivity of agricultural crops, and reducing the adverse environmental impacts of agriculture.

 Nearly 50 years ago, Mark Granovetter initiated a fundamental critique of economic theory. His critique was the starting point for the New Economic Sociology (NES). Particularly, he criticized the emerging theories of New Institutional Economics (NIE), focusing on the ideas of Oliver Williamson (1932–2020) who was one of the most prominent representatives of this school. In this paper we address this critique and Williamson’s response to it. Williamson argued from the perspective of transaction cost economics, while Granovetter focused on the social embeddedness of individuals. The impact of this debate on economics has resulted in an increased research interest in the role of institutions and social networks. However, both lines of thought did not bring economic and sociological theories together. NES established as a subdiscipline in Sociology. Its central concept of embeddedness continued to attract interest but proved to be of little empirical applicability. NIE, on the other hand, has become part of mainstream economics.

The current study seeks to establish the preferences of Bulgarians through exploring how passenger transport in Bulgaria developed from 2012 to 2022. On a theoretical level, the characteristics of this sector are described, such as types of passenger transport vehicles. The research interest is aimed at tracking the dynamics behind all the options for passenger carriage forming the supply of the transport market in Bulgaria: by rail, bus, air, water, and urban electric transport. To achieve this objective, the parameters of activity in the passenger transport segment are used as the main measures – number of passengers, passenger-kilometres and average distance travelled. During the studied period, passenger transport in Bulgaria developed at variable rates and was influenced by environmental factors. The mode of transport most affected by the pandemic in 2020–2021 was by air. A decrease in the total number of passengers and overall performance for 2022 compared to 2012 can be observed. This decline is due to a decrease in bus and rail transport indicators. The study has established that Bulgarians prefer traveling by bus to other public transport alternatives. Although the absolute number of vehicles has decreased in this segment, it has the largest relative share according to the indicators of transported passengers and performed work as part of the total transport activity in the country.

In a practical respect, attention is focused on modern solutions related to information and communication technologies, as well as some opportunities to attract more public transport passengers. The author also draws attention to some EU initiatives in the field of air and maritime transport concerning Union-wide energy policy.

 This study examines the pivotal role of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the realm of international business strategy. By analysing various definitions and models of CRM, it identifies how CRM strategies align with organisational goals across different market conditions and cultural landscapes. The paper synthesizes these findings to propose a comprehensive CRM approach that enhances customer satisfaction and organisational profitability while addressing the challenges of international business operations.

This paper aims to acknowledge and pay due respect to one of our leading researchers in the field of accounting thought in Bulgaria, having worked over the last fifty years – the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. Emphasis is placed on the main scientific contributions of Prof. Trifonov, particularly his creative efforts – to synthesize theories; to overcome the one-sided justification of research questions; to continuously search for new methodological and philosophical foundations of accounting; to eschew the trivial interpretations; to continuously attempt to raise the bar in accounting to a higher theoretical level. The manuscript also distinguishes Prof. Trifonov as “a role model of scientific dignity” (to borrow from Prof. D.Sc. Mihail Dinev).

A new book by Yanis Varoufakis, Technofeudalism - What Killed Capitalism, has recently been published. Do you remember Varoufakis? In early 2015, at the height of the Greek debt crisis, the little-known (at the time) university lecturer was appointed finance minister and quickly became a star. He was certainly not the first to oppose the so-called Washington Consensus and neoliberalism in economics, but he was perhaps the most eloquent and the most extreme in his criticism, backed by a deep knowledge of the workings of the modern market economy. His time in power was less than half a year, but he will certainly be remembered for a long time. After him, Greece now has its sixth finance minister, but I am sure that even there few people know their names.

I allowed myself this extravagant title as I am still under the strong impression of one of his previous books, The Global Minotaur, in which Varoufakis examines economic history and crises, focusing on the role of the US in the post-World War II global economy. The author uses the myth of the Minotaur as a metaphor to explain the complex system of global financial flows that fuelled the US economy and contributed to the accumulation of global economic imbalances that ultimately led to the global financial crisis of 2007-2009.