International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

The EU integrates new members through the enlargement process once they meet a number of political and economic conditions. The process encourages democratic and economic reforms in countries that want to become EU members and promotes greater stability and prosperity in Europe.
Enlargement is the process whereby states join the European Union, after they have fulfilled a set of political and economic conditions. Any European state which respects EU democratic values and is committed to promoting them may apply for EU membership. The accession criteria, or Copenhagen criteria (named after the 1993 Copenhagen European Council meeting which defined them), are the essential conditions all candidate countries must satisfy to become an EU member state. These are: political criteria: stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities; economic criteria: a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competition and market forces; administrative and institutional capacity to effectively implement the EU acquis (body of common rights) and ability to take on the obligations of EU membership. The EU’s capacity to take in new members, while maintaining the momentum of European integration, is also an important consideration.

This paper examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in airport security, with a particular focus on Sofia Airport within Bulgaria’s critical infrastructure framework. It explores the growing significance of AI in enhancing security protocols at airports, which are critical nodes in national and international transportation networks. The case study highlights a collaborative effort between Sofia Airport and VIP Security, where the “VIP Eye” system was demonstrated to airport officials for testing and feedback. VIP Eye, an AI-driven solution, is designed to detect and mitigate security threats with high precision, featuring capabilities such as weapon detection, masked face recognition, and the identification of physical altercations. The collaboration aimed to refine the system based on insights from Sofia Airport’s security expertise, contributing to advancements in security technology. The study also discusses the broader implications of AI adoption for airport security in Bulgaria, considering both technical advancements and the challenges associated with integrating such technologies within the existing security infrastructure.

Digital transformation and sustainable development are key concepts that are actively developing in modern business and society. They go hand in hand, creating opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce the negative impact on the environment and increase people’s quality of life. The Industrial Internet of Things is a powerful tool for connecting industrial devices, sensors, and equipment to a network to improve monitoring, analysis, and process automation. With the increasing digitization of business in recent years, cyber-attacks are also on the rise. To protect against such actions, organizations need cybersecurity technology solutions, as well as reliable tools to detect, prevent, and respond to cybersecurity breaches. This publication presents an exploration of the combination and interconnectedness of IIoT and cybersecurity in industrial enterprises, which are necessary to keep these systems secure and protected from cyber threats. A conceptual framework for multi-layered cyberattack defense designed for industrial enterprises is proposed.

At the end of 2022, the population of the Czech Republic reached 10,827,529, the highest ending population since the end of the Second World War. Although the migration wave from Ukraine, which included mainly children and women of working age, has slightly slowed the aging of the population, according to the Czech Statistical Office, the Economic Dependency Index has steadily increased between 2013 and 2022, from 57 to 72 non-productive age persons per 100 working-age persons. The sustainability of the financing of oldage pensions under the social security system is fundamentally conditioned by the demographic evolution of the population. The aging of society, which is a virtually universal phenomenon in the EU Member States, is, on the one hand, a manifestation of the desired rising standard of living, but at the same time, it creates pressure to find additional resources for the financial security of citizens in old age. The long-term imbalance of the pension system is a source of political demand for its adjustment, whether comprehensive or sub-parametric. Long-service allowances are an important financial instrument to increase the motivation of those interested in employment in the security forces. Thus, a possible reduction of its importance within the pension system, e.g. by relativizing the valorisation mechanism, may represent not only a threat to social reconciliation but also an indirect security risk for the state, consisting in a reduced demand for work in the police, firefighters and other professions. The paper aims to determine whether the general attitudes of the Czech public towards the pension system in the Czech Republic presented by the STEM agency correspond to the attitudes of full-time and distance learning students at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic in Prague, to identify any differences and to evaluate the possibilities of future long-term reduction of demographic risk for the pension system and for ensuring the stability of human resource capacity for the security forces.

The purpose of the article is to assess the ramifications of the introduction of retail Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC) in the field of asset recovery. Through systemic legal analysis, it strives to foresee benefits and challenges. The piece argues that since retail CBDC customer accounts are with the central banks, there is a potential for improved efficiency in asset freezing, seizing and confiscation, including international cooperation, as central banks may act as turnkey operators in the process. Further, there are identifiable benefits in the disposal phase. Possible programmable features and privacy considerations are among the challenges, along with the sheer volume of information that needs processing in asset tracing. The value of this article lies in the assessment of the effect of fundamental changes associated with the introduction of retail CBDC in the field of asset recovery.

The article The article describes a simulation experiment to assess human behavior during threats inside buildings, using Metaverse systems and virtual reality (VR). The study was carried out on a model of a real building, where avatars controlled by users simulated responses to crises. This approach has several advantages over the traditional use of NPCs (non-player characters). Usercontrolled avatars enable a more realistic representation of behavior, as participants can make decisions in real time depending on the developing situation. Unlike NPCs, whose reactions are pre-programmed and predictable, human-controlled interactions introduce an element of unpredictability and authenticity, better reflecting real human reactions. Thanks to Metaverse and VR systems, it is possible to precisely reproduce building interiors and threat scenarios, which allows for analyzing various evacuation strategies and behaviors in stressful situations. In addition, experiment participants can repeatedly participate in various simulations, which increases the scope of collected data and allows for a more comprehensive analysis. The article emphasizes that using Metaverse and VR systems for simulations with users brings significant benefits to research on security and crisis management. This approach allows for the creation of more realistic models of human behavior, which are key to improving evacuation procedures and responses to threats inside buildings. The study presents the results of research carried out based on an original solution implemented in the Metaverse environment.

The report analyzes the needs and requirements of the National Situation Center (NSC) and the Crisis Management Center (CMC) regarding aspects of cyber security and cyber defense. The need for the interaction of the national security systems in crisis management, in order to ensure the functionality of the NSC and the CMC, is substantiated. For this purpose, it is important to define the critical entities in the national security ecosystem and to analyze the interactions between them according to legal documents and agencies and organizational structures of the European Union and Bulgaria. This, in turn, is a prerequisite for achieving effective and timely exchange of information, which will properly support the decision-making process in crisis management. The different types of cyber threats that could affect the operation of national security systems when crises occur, such as disasters, accidents and other crises are taken into account.

The Romanian Air Force increased the interoperability with the NATO partners, including the acquisition and operation of the F-16 aircraft from the Norwegian and Portuguese Air Forces, F-16s that are distributed within different Romanian airbases. In this respect, the Romanian Air Force must undertake necessary steps in the direction of gradually grow of the operational capabilities, starting from a first phase by making operational one squadron of F-16 A/B MLU (Mid Life Update) aircraft in 2017. The squadron operationalization includes the logistics services starting from the Air Force Headquarters and implemented at the ground level of the airbases assigned to receive the specific aircraft. An updated, with new efficient solutions for maintenance management system, was envisaged and destined to the safety operation and maintenance activity of the new family of aircraft.

According to Art. 3 of the Bulgarian Safe Use of Nuclear Energy Act, nuclear energy and ionizing radiation are used in accordance with the requirements and principles of nuclear safety and radiation protection in order to ensure the protection of human life, health and living conditions of current and future generations, the environment and material values from the harmful impact of ionizing radiation. Persons responsible for facilities and activities under this Act shall establish and maintain an effective safety management system.

The aim of the article is to present how an organization can achieve the appropriate level of development based on the implemented quality management system in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard based on selected areas and what significance it has in ensuring the safety of its operation. The first chapter talks about the advantages for the organization resulting from having an implemented standard in the implementation of customer orientation. The next chapter presents the advantages of the organization resulting from building trust and credibility in the implementation of the requirements of the standard, the third chapter shows how the competences of top management influence the building of the position and development of the entire organization. This article aims to present several selected areas of application of the standard and to find the answer whether, in times of many threats and unpredictability of changes in the organization’s environment, the ISO 9001 standard is a sufficient tool allowing for the safe development of the organization.

This article compares the measures of two states, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, competing for the position of regional leader. Elimination of radicalization from the lowest levels of the state is a natural concern of authoritarian governments. Mindful of the threat that religious extremism poses to the stability of authoritarian regimes, they condemn terrorism in all its forms and support the international community’s efforts to fight (Islamist) terrorism together. To ensure stability and national security, the governments of both countries have adopted comprehensive national strategies and action plans to counter radicalization and terrorism. Their common feature is the focus on preventive measures in local communities. However, while Kazakhstan concentrates on addressing the root causes of extremism, a strong emphasis on repressive measures can be identified within the Uzbek strategies. The article examines the limits of cooperation between the leading Central Asian countries as declared in the current legislative acts, highlights how the positions of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan differ and diverge, and the potential to mitigate the risks associated with extremism in Central Asia by strengthening regional cooperation and understanding.

The Arab Spring and the armed conflicts that followed in the MENA region led to unprecedented mixed migrant flows towards the EU. As a result, various measures to cope with irregular migration have been proposed and implemented both at the national and regional levels. This paper tries to analyse those of them that regard the relations between the EU and third countries bordering it. Special attention is paid to the agreements that involve the provision of financial assistance to third countries in return for stemming the flows of migrants. We argue that such a practice is not only controversial per se, but it does not lead to significant success in tackling irregular migration, as it has been already observed on several occasions. We therefore make some recommendations aimed at better addressing the issue of mixed
migration management at the EU level.