The effectiveness of European structural and cohesion funds (SCF) has long been a contradictory topic, both for European institutions and researchers. This matter is particularly interesting for in-depth exploration, because of the lack of unambiguous evidence regarding the effect of these funds on beneficiary regions and countries. Four countries (Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece) have remained the main beneficiaries of SCF since 1989[1]; however, data on GDP growth and labour markets in these countries is…

Institute for Market Economics joined the worldwide initiative Friedman Legacy for Freedom Day by organizing a special evening dedicated to Milton Friedman’s 100th Birthday (31 July 2012, Sofia). IME gathered up to 50 people to celebrate Friedman’s legacy and to discuss his ideas. The evening started with segments from the “Free to Choose” series and continued with short contributions by our three quest speakers – Kalin Hristov, Georgi Angelov and Petar Ganev. A review of…

On April 16th 2012 the Institute for Market Economics (IME) released a report, analyzing the current regulatory framework and policies for the integration of people with disabilities. The report also proposes positive reform measures that, we believe, will better serve the purpose of full-fledged inclusion of such individuals. The full text (in Bulgarian) is available here. According to the National Social Security Institute (NSSI), annual expenditure on disability pensions financed by the National Social Security…

The Institute for Market Economics (IME) presented its view on the performance of the economy, putting the focus on the labor market and the job creation in a time of crisis. The latest data from Eurostat shows that more and more European countries are again in a recession and that Bulgarian growth is weakening in the end of 2011. It seems that Bulgaria is also heading towards a recession in 2012. The labor market is…