INSTRUCTIONS FOR AUTHORS

Basic concept of the volume:
Nowadays there are a large number of studies and papers available on emerging EU economies. However, information and analyses are frequently distorted by the current political and economic noise; on the other hand there is a lack of systematic and comparable studies in many important areas of these economies. Therefore, based on wide comparative data analysis, [Priority should be given to publicly available and continuously maintained and updated data sources. If such data bases are not available, setting them up should feature among the recommendations.], the first goal of each chapter in this volume would be to provide information about the state of the economy in a given subject area preceding the pandemic shock [ In more concrete terms, it will offer a detailed snapshot of the state of the subject, starting from the time when the countries concerned came out of the 2008 financial crisis up to the date when COVID-19 hit them]. Our primary goal is to identify the main similarities and differences between these countries. Next, each chapter should analyse the effects of this unprecedented shock in a particular field, which should be followed by highlighting the main problems the countries are facing at present and in the near future, together with identifying their available policy options. Finally, before concluding and making general and country specific policy recommendations, some thought will be given to the longer term prospects. More specifically, it will be considered how the subject area could contribute to avoiding the "middle-income-trap" that this region is facing.
It is worth emphasising that the main focus of the volume is economics and economic policy!

Target audience:
Policy decision makers in Europe, economists interested in Europe, graduate students in economics and policy. Targeting to be the main reference book in the subject.

Countries involved:
Visegrad 4 + Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovenia. However, if in a subject area the authors feel that a Baltic country or the Baltic region may have substantial relevance and/or an important message, please feel free to include it/them.

Expected average length of a chapter:
About 40 pages. Maximum length about 50 pages. (Measured in LaTeX output pages, based on the macro provided by the publisher). Overall, length the volume, approx. 650-700 pages.

Authorship:
Given the complex nature of each chapter, we expect to have several authors for them, with a coordinating one, who will feature as the "first author".

Data: Whenever feasible please always use publicly available data, and figures and tables based on these data, otherwise copyright issues may arise.
Chapters have essentially three main parts: i) a complete snapshot before the pandemic; ii) the effects of the shock and the way(s) countries and the region came out of this; and iii) the long term prospect with special attention to the middle income trap. Now in i) should the most data be used and all countries considered in detail, and also what is common and what the differences are. In ii) somewhat less data may be needed, especially country wise, while more emphasis can be put on what is common and the differences. Finally, in iii) much less data is needed, and no need to deal with each countries separately unless there is something special worth mentioning.

Typesetting: Please use LaTeX and the macro provided by the publisher. Until this is available please use plain LaTeX. LaTeX technical assistance will be provided by the Editors in due time, if requested, to produce complex tables, graphs, etc.

Other requests:

• Please avoid the sterility of the official EU language.
• The alphabetic order of countries should follow the English one rather than the EU-system.
• Be concrete but avoid unnecessary (often confusing) details.
• Please use relative rather than national indicators, e.g. average pension in terms of average net wage rather than 10,000 CZK. Also, please avoid the use of national currencies, when needed use the EUR and specify the conversion, etc. method.
• English spelling is preferred to American one. Within a chapter the use should be consistent.
• Please use Czechia when referring to the Czech Republic.
• Quotation marks: Please use double quotation marks (") when directly citing somebody, otherwise use a single one.
• For Emerging European Economies use EEE or emerging EE rather than CEE.
• Use of abbreviation: other than the obvious ones (GDP, FDI, etc.), please define them when first used.
• A Chapter has Sections (1.2, 1.2.3, etc. are all Sections) and no sub-chapters or parts.
• When making direct reference to a web-site (e.g., www.xxx.zzz... or htpps:....) it should be dealt with as a reference: the address should be in the reference list.
• Please use Covid and Covid-19 and not COVID and COVID-19.
• The use of `EEE countries' is acceptable (because the ease of reading, explanations are going to be given in the Introduction), but please try to avoid its use too frequently.
• Please use plural after EEE, e.g., `EEE are....' or if you would prefer singular then use `EEE group is....'.
• Please use EU27 instead of EU-27 or EU 27, etc.
• When making a list of countries use alphabetical order unless otherwise warranted by the text. E.g., `....the population of countries like Poland, Hungary and Slovakia matters' but `...the weather in Hungary, Poland and Slovakia was awful this summer'.
• Please use plural after data. Data are instead of data is.
• Graphs and figures: for the legends please use Arial 9 fonts with 0.5pt spacing between letters, whenever possible. Please do not use fonts smaller than 9pt as these cannot be seen properly in the final output.
• Please, whenever relevant, Eurozone or euro area.