The burden of taxation and social security levels are combined with rising activities of the state regulatory. Fiscal and social policies in the current economic times are becoming one of the most important formal driving forces controlling the shadow economy levels in EU. Spearman's correlational coefficients connections between changes of the social contributions, along with its benefits, tax burden structure elements (% of GDP ratio) are used to discern impact for the shadow economy's level and the aim is to examine the relationship between this type of economy and tax system input factors influence in EU countries, with different level of economic development, groups.

This paper deals with an issue of how to evaluate the possibilities provided by the public-private partnership (PPP) to optimize investments in public infrastructure. Literature analysis discloses this process being complex in nature. Value for money (VfM) assessment is acknowledged as the main decision-supporting tool to assess whether to implement investment project (IP) as a PPP. However, due to its multifaceted nature, this process is challenging and demanding, while results can be very different depending on the approach and assumptions applied, which, in turn, also causes criticism on very PPP. To get reliable results, the rational public sector's comparator (PSC) model and the financially viable and affordable PPP model should be constructed as well as their rational comparison should be done. To satisfy these requirements, there is a need of rational comparative tools presenting complex approach to the VfM assessment. Accordingly, the main objective of the research was to create an integrated complex model of evaluating the possibilities provided by the PPP to optimize investments in public infrastructure as well as to assess its suitability to be used in solving issues related to this assessment. Theoretical background of the research was based on the scientific literature analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalization, while the model was created by using methods of statistical analysis, financial analysis and modeling and logical analysis. The model consists of five stages: 1) preparation of the initial IP; 2) selection of IP for the assessment of PPP; 3) PPP structuring and feasibility analysis; 4) VfM assessment of actual bids, and; 5) VfM monitoring, which includes ex-ante, actual and ex-post assessment. The model was assessed in the hypothetical case study, where its suitability to be used in solving the issues related to the assessment of PPP's possibilities to optimize investments in public infrastructure in both economic and social-based PPPs have been demonstrated. The results obtained allow arguing it as enabling to make reasoned decisions for the most efficient ways of IP implementation.

Government's role in promoting the country's economy remains a relevant issue both in academics and politicians debates. Not only for individual countries but also for the European Union as a whole the promotion of high value-added activities, in particular in lower development small open economies which hardly recover from external economic shocks and experience significant social problems due to high unemployment level remains a relevant issue. The country's competitiveness and level of development, as well as the country's economy growth, depend on high value-added investment growth, and both private and public investments play a significant role in economy of each country. Government's role, in particular through the fiscal policy, in the promotion of these activities is crucial. The prevailing view in the scientific literature is that in developed countries public investment crowds out private investment, while in developingcrowds in, but it is not clear under what conditions these effects occur because the countries are very different. Also the effect of the taxes revenues and the government expenditure indicators on private investment is unclear because the effect of these variables on private investment has not been studied comprehensively. So the aim of the research is to evaluate the relationship between fiscal policy indicators, such as the government revenues from taxes and the government expenditure, and private investment comprehensively including indicators of macroeconomic environment in the Baltic States, by applying correlation and regression analysis. The conducted research revealed the existence of strong direct relationship between the fiscal policy indicators and private investment in the Baltic States, showing the importance of fiscal policy to private investment. During the analysis of detailed tax and expenditure indicators it has been established that the strongest relationship exists between the current taxes on income, wealth, etc and public investment with private investment. The current taxes on income, wealth, etc indicator explains about 86 percent of the private investment fluctuations and the gross fixed capital formation by public sector indicator explains about 80 percent of the private investment fluctuations in the Baltic States, whereas the effect of these indicators on private investment is analyzed separately, while macroeconomic indicators of a country explain only about 8-13 percent of the private investment fluctuations.

Orphaned osseous tools are very often perceived as having a high aesthetic value, but are usually under-examined. This article illustrates the research potential of these artefacts, with a case study of Mesolithic stray finds from Lithuania. Four bone points from the River Šventoji, Vaikantonys, Obšrūtai and Kamšai were subjected to AMS dating, tandem mass spectrometry for animal species identification, and technological and use-wear analysis. The results revealed that all four bone points could be dated to the Boreal period, and imply an Early to Middle Mesolithic date. Harpoons from the River Šventoji and Kamšai were most likely made of aurochs bones. All of the bone points were produced from long sections of tubular long bones, and three of the points show signs of reuse. Overall, the analysis revealed similarities with contemporaneous material in northern Europe. Within the context of the present research, the paper briefly describes other scientific methods which could be applied to orphaned bone and antler tools, including biomolecular and stable isotope analysis. Digital recording methods can be useful for bone artefact recording. This is relevant today, as the demand for good-quality digital representations is increasing, in order to apply software for further analysis, such as geometric morphometrics. As a result, more widespread and systematic applications of these new methods to orphaned osseous finds would lead to a significant activation of these finds in a scientific and outreach context.

This paper presents the main guidelines for the formation of optimal capital structure in a publicprivate partnership (P3). The relevance of guidelines determines the growing number of investment projects carried out by various publicprivate hybrids, which, due to unique conditions of every project, usually cope with such problems as the formation of optimal capital structure and sharing of risk between shareholders. Due to this reasons, the purpose of the paper is to form a procedural model enabling to optimize capital structure of P3. The research methodology is based on the review of scientific literature as well as, the analysis and synthesis of analyzed problems and possible solutions. The created model enables to evaluate the requirement for private sector's involvement in the delivery of public services, to select the rational basis of P3 and its form, to determine the optimal structure of public and private investment and by optimizing capital structure of private partner to evaluate financial viability of P3.