This proceedings book presents selected papers from the 10th international conference on the "Economies of the Balkan and Eastern European Countries in the Changing World" (EBEEC), held in Warsaw, Poland, in May 2018. In addition to discussing the latest research, it includes papers adopting a wide variety of theoretical approaches and empirical methodologies and covering a number of key areas, such as international economics, economic growth, finance and banking, insurance, healthcare, agriculture, labor and energy markets, innovation, management and marketing. In addition, the authors discuss policy instruments and best practices for the region. This book appeals to scholars and students in fields of economics and finance as well as practitioners interested in the development of the region.

The papers in this proceedings volume were presented at the 9th international conference “The Economies of the Balkan and Eastern European Countries in the Changing World” (EBEEC) held in Athens, Greece, in April 2017. They include the scientific results of research on current issues relevant for the wider area of Eastern Europe. Authors from 30 different countries develop new ideas, covering topics such as international economies, European integration, the economic crisis, macroeconomics, banking, stock markets, education, energy, innovation, and marketing. The contributions also examine the role of the economies of the Balkan and Eastern European countries in a pan-European context.

The Balkan countries have responded differently to the EU’s conditional offer of membership. This book examines the diverging compliance patterns of the Balkan accession states and asks why some of them have complied substantially, some only partially and others have defied the EU. The book examines the compliance of the Balkan states with the EU accession conditionality, arguing that the variation in the compliance behavior of Balkan governments hinges on three main factors – the legitimacy of the EU conditions as seen domestically in the accession states, the costs of compliance and the EU’s ability and willingness to use its superior power resources to impose compliance when faced with domestic defiance. Placing important events from the most recent political history of the Balkans in a broader historical perspective, the author evaluates the successes and failures of the EU’s state building policies in the Balkans, a geographical area of the highest priority for the EU’s foreign policy and a test case for the EU’s capacity and willingness for foreign policy action. Based on detailed empirical data, European Foreign Policy and the Challenges of Balkan Accession will be of interest to scholars and students of EU and comparative politics, and those focusing on policy impact in EU integration.

Any enquiry into the nature, performance, role, demerits, growth, efficiency, or other aspects of financial services such as banking and insurance activities, requires rigorous estimates of their economic output, i.e., the economic contributions made by these firms, as well as by the industries as a whole. Accordingly, this book condenses several theoretical, methodological, empirical, and philosophical issues in conceptualizing, measuring, and empirically operationalizing the economic output of the banking and insurance industries. The analytical focus is on both Global and Emerging Markets perspectives. The book synthesizes applied and conceptual evidence to locate the chosen theme's analytical patterns, consensus, and disagreements. The selected subject matter is studied within the firm-level and aggregate settings, bringing literature of varied scopes together. Contributions from various international academics, practitioners, and policymakers further enrich the narrative. The book concludes with data-driven case studies that analyze the extent to which the critical performance parameters of the banking and insurance industries in the BRIICS economies – including estimation of aggregate industry-level partial factor productivities, total factor productivity, technical efficiency, and returns to scale – vary concerning alternate measures of their output. The present work also provides a brief note on the inputs measurement dimension, following which there is a discussion on the limitations, future scope, and conclusions. This work will be valuable for researchers and policymakers undertaking performance analyses related to banking and insurance activities. It shall provide them with the examination of a plethora of analytical options and related issues on the theory and praxis of output measurement, all finely organized into one single volume.

The rapid changes in the economic and political climate of the Balkan and the Black Sea countries demand continuous adjustments in the mixture of the implemented economic policy in the area. Under this framework, there is a special interest to investigate the impact of the global economic reality in these economies, the importance of their integration in the European Union, as well as the foundation of various regional organizations that host many countries of the specific area. Taking into consideration the current developments within the European Union, the economic crisis that strikes the peripheral EU countries and the dispute over the credibility of the euro currency, economists need to enhance the effectiveness of regional development, to underline the value of FDI and entrepreneurship of the countries of the Balkan and the Black Sea, to assist the bank sector in order to support the level of productivity, to control the financial flows with the help of auditing structures and to exploit human recourses in order to achieve economical reforms in these countries. The current volume approaches, among others, the above matters and aspires to contribute to the further investigation of the possibilities and the perspectives of the economies of the region.

This timely book critically examines the European Social Model as a contested concept and concrete set of European welfare and governance arrangements. It offers a theoretical and empirical analysis of new economic models and existing European investment strategies to address key issues within post-Covid-19 Europe.

This year’s Conference is characterized by the research contributions of Scientists from Cyprus, England, Saudi Arabia and Greece. This year’s Conference is organized by the Greek Foundation for Research in the Quantitative, Social and Economic Subjects, which is a non-profit Company with Articles of Association registered in the Chamber of Non-for- profit organizations. This Conference is a continuation, in a broader sense, of the four International Conferences which were organized by myself during the years 2003, 2009, 2013, and 2015, under the auspices of the Technological Educational Institute of Athens, as well as the 1st and 2nd International Conference on Quantitative, Social, Biomedical and Economic Issues, during the years 2017, 2018, Athens. The International Conferences of the years 2017, 2018, were organized under the Auspices of the Greek Foundation for Research in the Quantitative, Social and Economic Subjects which is based in Athens, Greece and has links with an International group of Academics. This Conference is focusing on the impact of Education on the innovation process, the productivity and the well-balanced development of a country. The findings of (Varsakelis, Volume 35, Issue 7, September 2006, Pages 1083-1090, ELSEVIER) support the hypothesis that the higher the investment of a society in the quality of education, the higher the output of innovation activity. Furthermore, the development level of the governmental institutions is positively correlated with innovation activity. The aim of this Conference is to become a forum for the analysis of subjects related to the Quantitative, Social, Biomedical and Economic Sciences, the present state in Greece for the sectors of Education, Health, Innovative Business and the lessons learnt from them, in the context of the serious economic crisis in Europe and, particularly, in Greece. This Conference, also, is the opportunity for many highly respected scientists to present and exchange ideas in their respective research areas with the aim of initiating new joint projects. The new developments in the sectors of contemporary Science and Economy are important and the need for a clear and responsible information is very high regarding, also, the possibility of fake news through the Internet.

The economies of the European countries are still in recession, the development process is at a standstill, companies are facing financial difficulties, and the EU’s monetary policy is tight and focused on lowering inflation. The fiscal problems and high debt levels of the northern European countries are of great importance, and they are the consequences of both the European economy’s structural characteristics and the EU’s policies. The economic area of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the Black Sea countries is also vital, due to its special economic characteristics. The effects of the economic crisis on this particular area are catalytic, while the prospects for recovery are doubtful. The present book deals with the key aspects of the economic crisis in Europe, especially focusing on southeast Europe and the Balkans. The consequences of the crisis in these countries are analyzed and suggestions for how to address the crisis are outlined.

This volume comprises papers presented at the 8th international conference “The Economies of the Balkan and Eastern European Countries in the Changing World” (EBEEC) held in Split, Croatia in 2016. The papers cover a wide range of current issues relevant for the whole of Eastern Europe, such as European integration, economic growth, labour markets, education and tourism. Written by experienced researchers in the field of economic challenges for Eastern Europe, the papers not only analyse recent problems, but also offer policies to resolve them. Furthermore, they offer insights into the theoretical and empirical foundations of the economic processes described. The proceedings of the conference appeals to all those interested in the further economic development of the Balkan and Eastern European countries.