New trends in multi-faced corruption - a continuing obstacle for fair business in Bulgaria: our response

• Author: Dobrinka Chankova
• Position: Dobrinka Chankova - Faculty of Law and History, South-West University 'Neofit Rilski'-Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, chankova@law.swu.bg.
• Pages: 574-582

New trends in multi-faced corruption - a continuing obstacle

for fair business in Bulgaria: our response

Professor Dobrinka CHANKOVA1

Abstract

The focus of this paper is the corr uption in economic and business relations in

Bulgaria and the r egistered new trends. This type o f cor ruption impedes economic

development, ca using distortions and inefficiencies, hence the necessity of an adequate

response. The cur rent meta-ana lysis of the ava ilable literatur e and the r esearched pra ctice

in a chronologica l and structured way is tr ying to explore the latest developments of the

theory, legislation, institutional decisions and social attitude toward s corr uption and to

present new appr oaches and ideas for a solution to the problem. Special attention is pa id to

the r elatively new phenomenon "private-to-private" corruption, the new Bulgaria n Act on

Counteractin g Corruption a nd on Seizure of Illegally Acquired Pro perty 2018 and the b est

practices for fighting cor ruption an d investigating fraud with EU funds. Some extra

proposa ls for improvement of business climate a re offered with a recommendation for

proba tion. If all that is successful, it could be extra polated in other fields, countries, etc.

Keywords: cor ruption, business environment, anticor ruption legislation a nd

mechanisms, European dimension.

JEL classification: K14

1. Introduction

Lately, corruption has become a global threat to the economic development

of many countries but also for the world economy and politics in general. The

different forms of abuse of power for personal or collective profit to the detriment

of the public interest are particularly relevant to countries in transition, so called

"new democracies", but also for those countries trying to develop market economy

and to establish healthy business climate. As a complex phenomenon, corruption is

a denial of the honest competition in the economic sphere, it demotivates

entrepreneurship, stimulates the shadow economy and economic crime, worsen

public services and exacerbates the social burden on citizens. In this way,

corruption contributes to widen the gap between the poor and the rich and become

a direct threat to the democratic foundations of society. That is why this subject

enjoys privileged attention from international organizations, national politicians,

civil society, research community etc.

The current meta-analysis of the available literature and the researched

practice in a chronological and structured way is trying to explore the latest

developments of the theory, legislation and social attitude towards corruption and

to present new approaches and ideas for a solution to the problem.

1 Dobrinka Chankova - Faculty of Law and History, South-West University "Neofit Rilski"-

Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, chankova@law.swu.bg.