Citizens’ Perspectives on Illicit Activities

Commissioned by: The Institute of Economics, Zagreb
Project duration: October 1, 2019 - December 31, 2023
Project manager: Jelena Budak
Collaborator: Edo Rajh

Scope:
The aim of the research project is to assess citizens’ opinions, attitudes, perceptions, experiences, and practices regarding a range of illicit activities, including but not limited to: gray market (e.g. tobacco products gray market), corruption, illegal trade, privacy intrusion online, and other unethical practices.

Empirical studies of these phenomena are rather rare, in particular for the region. This is in contrast to the actual and persistent problems affecting Croatia and other European post-transition countries exposed to the detrimental impacts of widespread corruption, smuggling and illegal trade, undeclared work and shadow economy, privacy violation, online security issues, and other perils to the socio-economic development in the digital age. The microdata on individual level combined with mezzo (sectoral) level approach will provide evidence for deriving the research-based policy recommendations.

Data:
The research will primarily use the large database collected within the BalkanSmugg project and extend the database for the analyses with other secondary data depending on the particular research theme. In the course of the project, additional data could be provisioned, coming from future EIZ projects, either commercial or funded by CSF.

Deliverables:
The output of the research project are research papers submitted for publication to journals in WoSCC/Scopus bibliographic databases. Dissemination is expected at international scientific conferences abroad, expert panels and meetings, as well as in EIZ Working Papers. The target scientific production is one paper p.c. annually submitted for publication or published.