The present article reviews part of a research paper on regional differences in evaluating economic growth and the various aspects that influence it. In this publication, the relationship between changes in corruption level and economic growth is analyzed, paying close regard to all countries of the world and taking Europe separately as a region with relatively consistent economic and social development levels. The author analyzes the average values and changes in gross domestic product (GDP) per capita based on purchasing-power-parity valuation (in US dollars) for 1998 – 2005 and the corruption perception index (CPI) of 1998 – 2007. When looking at data from all countries of the world and European countries, no interrelation can be observed between changes in CPI and GDP per capita. These values fluctuate independently of each other. The obtained results give rise to doubt whether CPI is a suitable indicator for determining the corruption level. The author concludes that assertions of negative (or positive) influence that corruption is said to have on GDP increase should be taken very critically.

The paper analyses sustainable development situation in Šiauliai and Telšiai counties between 2004 and 2013 and compares it with respective situation in the Republic of Lithuania. In order to provide an integrated assessment of the situation, the analysis employed the method of calculating sustainable development indices, close to the Compass method, often applied in research practice all over the world. The calculated indices of economic and social development and environmental state in Šiauliai and Telšiai counties and in Lithuania have shown changes in sustainable development during the period of 10 years. Integrated sustainable development indices, obtained by summing up economic and social development and environmental state indicators demonstrated that sustainable development situation in Šiauliai and Telšiai counties and the Republic of Lithuania between 2004 and 2013 was very similar. Due to the first EU investments between 2005 and 2007, a huge improvement of economic and social situation took place, environmental protection also improved. However, the global economic crisis of 2008 – 2010 decreased the sustainable development of Lithuania and the mentioned counties. In 2011 – 2012, the sustainable development situation started improving again, however, not in such big proportions as in 2005 – 2007. Recession in 2013, in fact, brought the level of sustainable development of Lithuania, Šiauliai and Telšiai counties down to the level of 2004. Conclusions provide generalisation of the research outcomes and possible sustainable development trends for Šiauliai and Telšiai counties.

The main objective of this research is to find out if quantitative factors describing agriculture have a statistically significant role on the parliamentary election results in Latvia. If this statistical relationship can be proven, then it is important to interpret the causality behind it. 18 agricultural indicators from the 2001 Census of Agriculture were selected to be analyzed with the 8th Saeima political party election results by using multiple linear regression analysis. These 18 parameters are different in their character, and they describe the size of farms, level of education for farmers, land usage statistics, proportion and productivity of certain crops, livestock and the usage of farm machinery. The main hypothesis of this research was that the rural civil parishes with a high intensity of agriculture have a statistically significant difference in election results when compared to the rest of the election results in Latvia. Initial results showed a strong correlation between election results and agricultural indicators, but when the ethnic factor was taken into account in the linear regression model the role of these agricultural indicators was greatly diminished.

To forecast how different indices describing Latvian forest industry will develop in the future, the decision support program which is based on the research of supply chains and production processes as well as on systematic analysis of the whole industry should be developed. One of the most common types of analysis is modelling of processes. In this paper processes of forestry and wood processing in Latvia are modelled by using general approach for system modelling, and each process is described as an abstract system where only its input and output values were identified. Correlations of input and output value time series with a simple and multiple regression analysis method were analyzed. Regression analysis was created for 77 pairs of indices which theoretically could have significant correlations. Input and output factor linear regression analysis for set of processes Forestry and Wood processing shows that not always there is significant correlation between time series of chosen model factors. Some of correlations between time series of input and output data in the model of forest sector even showed controversial results. The amount of information about processes and their quantitative indicators in Latvian wood processing industry is not sufficient for development of precise simulation models. There is need to develop a list of criteria for missing information and carry out its collection process.

It is important for every country that its territory develops evenly and in a balanced way. In the European Union (EU), a special focus is placed on the development of rural territories, as predominantly rural regions in the EU represent 57% of the territory and 24% of the population. In Latvia, the development of rural territories depends on economic growth in the key industries for the rural areas – agriculture and forestry, and logging that contributed to 4.3% of GDP and employed 9.5% of the labour force in 2011. Therefore, the research aim is to perform an assessment of the administrative territories of Latvia. The research analysed the municipalities of Latvia in terms of population and change in the population as well as in terms of revenue and income and change in the revenue and income. The research found that in Latvia the best economic performance was demonstrated by the municipalities with a population in the range of 8-12 thousand. In the period 2004 – 2014, the number of residents decreased by more than 20% in 49 municipalities of Latvia. Such municipalities are located far away from the capital city, and poor economic performance indicators with a prevailing primary sector were typical of the municipalities. The municipalities with higher tax revenue had larger populations, which increased in the period of analysis, and such municipalities are located in the vicinity of Riga and high economic performance indicators were characteristic of them.

The economic situation of Lithuanian agricultural sector faces with challenges in regards to family farms’ income instability and income discrepancies between family farms. The aim of this paper is to assess the economic sustainability of Lithuanian sector at farm level across farm size classes in terms of physical size and by specialization. Furthermore, as the sustainability construction index method was employed as basis to conduct the research, the methodology aspects related to the number of indicators included in the set of indicators and the estimation of thresholds of sustainability intervals were empirically analysed. The findings of economic sub-index assessment indicates very good level of Lithuanian family farms as 68% of the sample farms were defined by medium level of economic sustainability. The assessment of family farms’ economic sustainability by specialization revealed that the horticulture farms performed the highest economic sustainability and, at the other end of spectrum, the COP farms achieved the lowest economic sustainability. As regards the physical size of farms, the best economic sustainability was observed on the smallest farms in terms of size and on the largest farms, of less than 5 ha and from 500 ha or over, respectively.

Nowadays, when the economic development of countries is more and more influenced by knowledge-based, innovative entrepreneurship, particular attention is paid to the application and protection of intellectual property. Enterprises can acquire intellectual property rights in various ways externally and such rights can also be generated by enterprises internally: they launch and subsequently produce new or improved products and services (research and development) and ensure the protection of intellectually intensive products (patents, trademarks, computer software, etc.). Thus, it is important to study the valuation and accounting of intellectual property rights. The aim of the research is, on the basis of the studies of intellectual property rights accounting policy in Latvia, to identify the shortcomings related to the valuation and accounting of intellectual property rights and to develop recommendations for their elimination. The following research tasks are subject to the aim: to study IPRs concept, regulatory framework and statistical data, to valuate accounting policy for IPRs; to identify shortcomings related to the valuation and accounting of IPRs; to develop recommendations for the elimination of identified shortcomings. The results of research enable to draw a conclusion that the requirements of the laws and regulations of Latvia do not prevent from the capitalization of intellectual property rights as intangible assets; however, it is necessary to revise and improve some requirements. In the conclusion of research, the authors have elaborated recommendations for the elimination of identified shortcomings.