Analysis of pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement regulation in Latvia has been made in the article. The main task of the research work is to review pharmaceutical price regulation methods in Latvia and to compare pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement development with other European countries. It is important to perceive the main interest and deficiency of the price regulation in Latvia and to introduce the necessary corrections in Latvia.

More than a half of the territory of Latvia is forest. Last 100 years the area of the forests of Latvia has been growing and on Latvian territory is progressing growth of the forests of Latvia has been growing and on Latvian territory is progressing growth of the forest. Wood ware resources in Latvia are more than 0.5 milliard cubic meters and it's still continue growing. Forest and its product in Latvia gives more than 10% of GDP, which is realized in timber, furniture, paper and other products. Forest makes one of the largest parts of Latvian export.

More than a half of the territory of Latvia is forests. During last 100 years the area of the forests of Latvia has been growing and on Latvian territory is progressing growth of the forest. Wood ware resources in Latvia are more than 0.5 billion cube meters and it still continue growing. Forest and its product in Latvia gives more than 10% of GDP, which is realized in wood work, furniture, paper and other products. Forest makes one of the largest parts of Latvian export.

Forty years after World War II, Latvia was an attractive receiving country for migrants from other regions of the USSR because of job opportunities and a higher standard of living. Migration changed the ethnic, gender and age structure of Latvia s population, as well as its economic profile. Since the mid-1990s, the direction of migration has changed from the post-Soviet space to the West. After Latvia joined the European Union and thus enjoyed the free movement of people, as well as access to the labour markets of several old EU member states, migration changed. Latvia, which used to be a receiving country for migrants, has become the sending country. This article describes how the policies of various political regimes have affected the migration pattern and direction as well recent migration flows in Latvia.

The article presents an overview of the development of the passenger vehicle sales market in Latvia and outlines related demand and supply problems. The authors have researched the development of the passenger vehicle sales market, have assessed the current situation in the market, have analyzed and made potential prognosis of the development of this sector in Latvia. The article highlights the development trends of new first-registration passenger vehicles in the European Union and presents calculations of demand elasticity of the new first-registration passenger cars in the Republic of Latvia depending on annual changes of GDP. Having analyzed the private vehicle sales market in Latvia, the authors have established trends, as well as have forecasted and defined prospects for the development of the market. The authors have also outlined the drawbacks of the sector and come up with proposals on how to improve the situation with the development of the passenger sales market in Latvia.

A provenance trial of at age of 28-year-old Scots pine has been analyzed. In three experimental places in Latvia provenances from Germany, Poland, Russia, Byelorussia, Ukraine, and Latvia were tested. German and Polish provenances showed a significantly larger average yield compared to Latvian provenances (17% and 19% respectively). The introduced pines had significantly thicker branches (German provenances – 9%, Polish – 6%) and crooked stems (German provenances – 35%, Polish – 12%) compared to the local material. Latvian pine provenances exhibited good growth and stem quality characteristics and also survival was higher than that of foreign provenances. The research suggests that use of foreign Scots pine plant material in Latvia is not advisable. Further testing of pine provenances from areas close to Latvia (Estonia, Lithuania, and neighbouring areas in Russia) is recommended.

Current demographical situation in Latvia, together with unrestricted labour flow between countries of European Union creates a lack of labour. Employees are becoming more selective and are not ready to work on any job or under old-fashioned autocratic management. This article is an analytical report on a survey of managerial attitudes in Latvia conducted in 2006, revised in 2008. The survey represents the evaluations of 886 respondents on management methods used at their workplace - in organizations in Latvia.

The development and location of agriculture in Latvia has a history of many centuries. The regional location was formed by natural conditions, ruling authorities and economic efficiency. After 1990, the regional specialisation of agriculture is mostly affected by prices and imports. Although the European Union allocation of funding for Latvia agriculture is smaller in the amount of subsidies in comparison with the old European Union member states, nevertheless, the agriculture in Latvia will survive and revive slowly.

Along with the rapid economic growth some problems appeared both in internal and external sector. One of the key internal sector problems is growing inflation; another problem in Latvia is imbalance of external sector - relatively high current account deficit, which is determined by negative trade balance. Although high current account deficit in Latvia causes additional risks for economic development, thus making Latvia dependent from the inflow of foreign capital, which in the result can lead to financial and currency crisis.

The PhD work is elaborated in the Faculty of Economics Department of Business and Management at the Latvia University of Agriculture, in a period of time from 2004 to 2007. There are findings of the research done by author from 1996 to 2007 included in this paper. The purpose of PhD work is to analyse the changes in Latvia vocational education system in the context of the Latvia regional development and elaborate methodological propositions for the forming and evaluation the scenarios of the development of Latvia vocational education system. The following tasks are subordinated to the purpose of the doctoral paper. 1. To appraise the theoretical aspects of the vocational education research and macro- factors influenced the development of the vocational education; to appraise the role of the vocational education in the process of the development of the EU. 2. To appraise the dynamics of the development of Latvia vocational education system from chronological as well as regional development point of view. 3. To analyse the changes in labour market in the context of the regional economy. To analyse present situation and changes in forecasting of future changes in labour market. 4. To analyse causality of the problems and tendencies of changes of Latvia vocational education system. 5. To design scenarios of the future development of Latvia vocational education system and develop the criteria for evaluation of these scenarios. 6. To analyse the criteria for evaluation scenarios of the future development of Latvia vocational education, as well as the scenarios. | Promocijas darbs izpildīts Latvijas Lauksaimniecības universitātes Ekonomikas fakultātes Uzņēmējdarbības un vadības katedrā no 2004.gada līdz 2007. gadam. Darbā ietvertie pētījumi veikti laikā no 1996. – 2007. gadam. Promocijas darba mērķis ir veikt Latvijas profesionālās izglītības sistēmas izmaiņu un pārmaiņu analīzi reģionālās attīstības skatījumā, un izstrādāt metodiskos priekšlikumus profesionālās izglītības sistēmas attīstības scenāriju veidošanai un novērtēšanai. Mērķim pakārtoti šādi uzdevumi: 1. Izvērtēt ar profesionālās izglītības pētniecības attīstību un makrovides ietekmi saistītos teorētiskos aspektus, t.sk. analizēt profesionālās izglītības vietu un lomu Eiropas Savienības attīstības procesā; izvērtēt scenāriju veidošanas teorētiskos pamatus; 2. Izvērtēt Latvijas profesionālās izglītības attīstības dinamiku hronoloģiskā un reģionālās ekonomikas skatījumā; 3. Analizēt darba tirgus pārmaiņas reģionālās ekonomikas kontekstā; izvērtēt situāciju darba tirgus kvalitatīvā un kvantitatīvā pieprasījuma prognozēšanā; 4. Analizēt Latvijas profesionālās izglītības sistēmas problēmu cēlonību un pārmaiņu tendences; 5. Izveidot un definēt vairākus profesionālās izglītības attīstības scenārijus, definēt to vērtēšanas kritērijus; 6. Analizēt profesionālās izglītības attīstības scenāriju vērtēšanas kritērijus un novērtēt profesionālās izglītības attīstības scenārijus.