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• The dynamic of Hungary's Agro-Food Trade in the Global Economy

  26-35

  Imre Ferto

  Views:

  124

  We analyse the evolving pattern of Hungary's agro-food trade using recently developed emprirical procedures based around the classic Balassa index and its symmetric transformation. The extent of trade specialisation exhibits a declining trend; Hungary has lost comparative advantage for a number of product groups over time. The indices of specialisation have also tended to converge. For particular product groups, the indices display a less persistent pattern. They are stable for product groups with comparative disadvantage, but product groups with weak or strong comparative advantage show significant variation. The results reinforce the finding of a general decrease in specialisation but do not support the idea of self-reinforcing mechanisms, emphasised strongly in much of the endogenous groeth and trade literature.

• Revealed comparative advantage in Hungarian agriculture: a chaotic or coherent pattern?

  59-82

  Imre Ferto

  Views:

  140

  We describe the evolving pattern of Hungarian agri-food trade using recently developed empirical procedures based around the classic Balassa Index at various aggregation level and different bechmark between 1992 and 2002. Our results shows a significant geographical differences and across sub-sectors of 1, 2, and 3 digit SITC classification. The extent of trade specialisation exhibits a declining trend for all benchmarks; Hungary has lost comparative advantage for a number of product groups over time. The indices of specialisation have also tended to converge. For particular product groups, the indices display greater variation. They are stable for product groups with comparative disadvantage, but product groups with weak to strong comparative advantage show significant variation.

  Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: Q12

• A behavioral economics approach to perceived inflation

  46-71.

  András Tréfás

  Views:

  273

  Recent years have brought an era of extremely low inflation both in Hungary and in the EU. However, the inflation perceived by consumers has not followed precisely the same path. In the article I attempt to shed light on the underlying causes of this discrepancy, using the concepts of behavioral economics. A summary of the results of the relevant literature and an empirical analysis of Hungarian perceived inflation patterns (both on the aggregate level and for demographic groups) form the backbone of the article. The main findings of the research show that there is a significant bias in the inflation perceptions of Hungarian individuals, caused by psychological phenomena. The extent of the bias varies among sociodemographic groups, but not in exactly the same way as one would expect from the literature.

  Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) codes: E03

• Integration of the CEE agri-food sector into the EU: What does trade theory and empirical evidence tell us?

  62-77

  Imre Ferto

  Views:

  149

  The article provides an overview on the main results of empirical research into the Integration of the CEE agri-food sector into the EU. Contrary to early expectations, countries in the region have not become major agri-food exporters. We can observe great diversity in trade specialisations, the patterns of intra-industry trade and price and quality competitiveness among countries and major product groups. These outcomes derive mainly from the differences in relative factor endowments and the different initial conditions of the countries concerned. The recent theoretical and empirical developments in international
  trade may help us to better understand the agri-food trade integration of new member states.

  JEL classification: Q12

• The economic impacts of direct payments on agricultural income – A Literature Review

  3-25

  Akos Szerletics

  Attila Jambor

  Views:

  579

  The economic impacts of direct payments is a widely studied field in the literature related to the Common Agricultural Policy. This article aims to provide a systematic review of the income-related impacts of direct payments. In doing so, the article screened the academic literature on the impacts of direct payments and identified 150 relevant ones, out of which 41 were written directly on income-related effects.
  Relevant articles can be classified into four groups: general, distributional, stabilisation and other impacts. Most of the literature criticised the ongoing system of direct payments and their effectiveness in producing income-related policy goals. We believe that our results can be useful for researchers and policymakers in better understanding the income-related impacts of direct payments.

  Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: Q18

• The Economic Theory of Clubs

  64-85

  Nora Ilona Elek

  Views:

  194

  Defining club goods allows an analysis of goods that possess neither pure public goods nor pure private goods characteristics. This is the main significance of the economic theory of clubs. The present paper categorises club good among goods in general on the basis of the relevant literature, and specifies the core elements of a definition of clubs and club goods. Then, by summarizing the most important articles on the subject, this paper delineates fundamental questions and models of club theory. Finally, supporting the relevant practical issues of club theory, this study describes economic fields where the theory has been applied.

  Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) classification: H41, H49

• A critical analysis of dependent companies with partnerships and the legal position of their directors

  101-110

  Emese Toro

  Views:

  88

  In the author's opinion the Hungarian legal system does not at present adequately deal with the special nature in Trust Law of those companies and their directors associated with and dependent on partnerships. These companies, legally independent, but economically connected to partnerships are required to push their own interests into the background in order to achieve common business goals. In the case of real groups of companies regulated by the Companies Act of 1997 only influence gained directly in relation to the given share owned in the partnership is considered relevant. Other formulation of this determining influence are not accompanied by requirement for excess liabilities and the law does not provide for arrangements to protect the interest of small owners and creditors. Accordingly it is the dominant influence that counts and not whether the directing influence is based on the size of the voting rights of the prevailing members or the contract established with the members ie. the shareholders.

• The role of the voluntary unemployment insurance system in the trade union movement

  43-70

  Nora Ilona Elek

  Views:

  240

  The purpose of this study is to analyse the institutional environment of the state-subsidised, trade union-managed national voluntary unemployment insurance system (the so-called Ghent-system) that influences the selective incentive feature of this system based on the literature. Another goal is to run cluster analysis in order to show whether Ghent-countries – Denmark, Finland and Sweden – differ from other countries based on this environment. The analysis is based on Olson’s (1965) concept of by-product theory. The essence of this theory is that large groups are able to increase, maintain and thus realize their lobbying activities by applying incentives to individuals. In the case of trade unions, the availability of voluntary unemployment insurance is a significant incentive. Its impact on trade union movement is usually analysed as a dummy variable, but this article focuses on institutions that are important to the Ghent-system.

  Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) code: J51

• The aspects of the Hungary's Adult Training

  36-55

  Edit Barizsne Hadhazi

  Istvan Polonyi

  Views:

  208

  The study surveys the most important aspects of the national adult training from educational economy point of view. The authors examine the national limits of legal rule of adult training. They present the different sub-systems of adult training i.e. the educational system, the non-educational system and the working place training characteristics of participation making international comparison too. We look over the target groups of adult-training and the participants motivation of the teaching arena. We also have a look at the domestic costs of the different froms of adult-training, and the division of this expenditure among the participants.